


Bullet for my Valentine

by cherry619



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Possible non-con, Schmoop, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-01 11:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17866502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherry619/pseuds/cherry619
Summary: Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ilzehs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilzehs/gifts).



> So this was a long drawn out idea that I talked to ilzehs about doing. I had sort of wrote a timeline for what I wanted in the story and I have three chapters written thus far with maybe the whole story maxing out at 15 possibly. This is a slow burn fic with the Shield being an eventual couple it just takes a long while for that to happen. But we get cute moments in between that definitely hint that the three share feelings together that aren't considered just brotherly.
> 
> I wanted to get this out on Valentine's day but alas it didn't happen. I'm hoping that I can finish Bullet Proof soon so I can fully focus on this one because what I have so far I think is turning out to be a good slow burn fic for the Shield and Dean realizing his feelings. I hope to post maybe once a week if I can. I want to catch up on chapters to make that possible. But so far I have 3 weeks already written worth of content. I know where the end game is so that makes it easier. 
> 
> This will get darker as the chapters progress so I'll be adding more tags and warnings as need be. I hope you enjoy this and strap yourself in for a crazy ride of romance, anger, pinning, and jerking off to one another in the shower secretly because they're dopes. 
> 
> Enjoy!

As soon as the camera is in his hands an electricity runs up and down Dean’s spine. He subconsciously takes a back seat, his thoughts pushed to the wayside as the feeling of delivering a promo just bursts out. It’s an indescribable feeling that overtakes him, almost as if he wasn’t in full control of his motor functions, including his mouth. Half of the time it really doesn’t even register what words he’s even saying. He let’s the feeling of two warm bodies crowding behind him sneering and laughing as he talks and the roar of the crowd, mostly in boos echoing across the metal hallways fill him with intensity and drive.

Promos have always come naturally to him, so it wasn’t hard to cock a smirk and snap his fingers like a grade A douche bag at the camera demanding, “Attention! Monday night, now there’s a RAW moment that nobodies gonna forget anytime soon, _especially_ The Champ John Cena _._ ”

Dean pulls back smile on his face as Seth mocks the champ himself. “Ohhhh you can’t see me.” Shaking his hand in front of his face taking pleasure in making fun of John Cena.

“I don’t think that works anymore. We see you just fine. On your back under our boots.” Roman’s steel voice ground out, the amusement leaving his face as soon as the camera panned back to Seth.

“You know who else saw you flat on your back John? Ryback. He watched you as we dropped you from the sky and stood over you. A lot of you guys out there are probably wondering, why didn’t Ryback help John Cena? Ryback figured it out. Ryback _knows_ how justice-” Seth pops his hand out in front of his face for emphasis making Dean slightly grin at realizing that Seth was picking up his hand movements during promos. “-feels.”

Dean immediately picks back up. “Self-preservation. He doesn’t want anymore of our trouble. He doesn’t want to feel justice anymore. In fact, the look on Ryback’s face on Monday that’s the same look we all saw on the face on the Undertaker. Two weeks ago, when he was surrounded by the Shield, look he can’t fool us I was standing 3 feet from the Undertaker I looked right into his eyes I know what I saw. We all saw it.”

Seth and Roman agree mouthing ‘we all saw it’ as they shake their heads. Dean’s hands begin to tremble with excitement. That feeling he gets when he feels as if he is, _they’re_ , producing something good. Something that he can be quite proud of that he’s going to think back on in a few days with a smile of satisfaction. It’s not often that he can deliver promos that he himself is happy with, given he’s his own critic, but lately the three of them have just started clicking as a unit. Things began making sense, they’ve been getting closer and reading each other’s minds easier and faster than before.

Dean knew what Roman and Seth would do before they actually did it. It was a strange feeling that washed over him in that moment, in realizing how _close_ the three were getting.

Dean shook himself slightly to refocus his thoughts on the promo.

“It was fear. The Undertaker was afraid. The Undertaker was terrified. The Undertaker was surrounded by the Shield and he was scared to death. He’s never been so relieved, so happy to see his brother Kane and his little buddy. Yeah you may be a legend, to some, you may be undefeated at WrestleMania but the Shield is undefeated **_period._** The Undertaker is not immortal. This Monday on RAW we prove that.”

“Twenty years Undertaker.” Seth cut in, a hard edge to his voice. “You’ve run this place but there comes a time for even legends to be pushed aside and your time is up.”

“The hounds of justice run this yard now, big dog. Believe in the Shield.” Roman reminded the audience, their one sole message getting driven into people’s brains until they could force _everyone_ to believe.

“Believe that, _deadman_.” Dean punctuated closing it out by pushing his face against the screen and laying it down on some nearby bench as Seth slightly chuckled in his ear, waving his hands in a goodbye motion.

As soon as the camera was finished recording Dean felt a rush of energy filter through his stomach, almost like butterflies.

Roman hit him slightly hard from behind giving him a pat of gratitude. “Dude that was _awesome_ guys, seriously.” Roman was a man of few words in promos, but he was constantly amazed at the poetry that would often leave Dean’s mouth.

Dean shrugged off the praise. “Hey, I can’t top your Batman voice and Seth’s jazz hands flying everywhere.”

Before Dean even finished the sentence, Seth was whacking him upside the head with his gloves that he managed to pull off as Roman pulled him in for a side hug, walking down the corridor so that they could attempt to take off their swat gear and head back to the hotel.

“You’re such an ass.” Seth said with a grumble, his whining almost cute but Dean shook the thoughts straight from his head. His partners were in _no way_ to be thought of as cute or adorable. Nuh-uh. No way.

“Seriously. How many Broadway musicals did you attend dude? Your hands...they speak such a _beautiful_ language.”

Dean laughed as he sprinted ahead as Seth aimed another well-placed smack to the side of his head. Roman was dying laughing, holding his gut as he leaned against the wall. Dean grinned in reply as Seth continued cursing his name all the way to their locker room.

* * *

 

It’s around 12:00 by the time they actually pull up to the hotel room.

Dean’s eyes groggily trace to the sign that promises a warm bed, wifi, and a hot breakfast.

Seth’s face is smushed  against the passenger side windshield, soft breath fanning with each exhale and leaving condensation. Roman’s hands tensed on the wheel, his muscles obviously seizing from the long drive after the show.

Without even saying a word as Roman parked Dean slipped out of the backseat wallet in hand prepared to check into their rooms. It was times like these that Dean felt breathless. Times when each guy was so bone tired and sore, exhausted beyond belief but so damn comfortable with each other that they didn’t need words to explain what they needed or what they were doing.

If Dean was more awake right now, he’d likely be having a mild freak out over it. He wasn’t sure if he was prepared for what was obviously starting to happen. Wasn’t sure if he could spare the heartbreak he knew would surely follow.

“Sir,” a voice said firmly, breaking Dean out of his trance. He shook his head with a breathed out, ‘huh’ that was in no way attractive as the lady smiled at him holding out their room keys in the paper sleeve. “Your room is ready sir, would you like someone to take your bags up?”

Dean grabbed the room keys and shook his head. “Nah, I think we can manage, thanks though.”

Dean drowned out her reply as he turned and pushed his way past the heavy glass doors to the SUV parked off to the side. The night was slightly chilly out leaving goosebumps up and down his arms as the wind whipped his curly hair back and forth in annoyance. Dean shoved his hand into his jeans pocket seeking warmth as he made a beeline for the car.

Roman’s window was down, his tattoo seeming to gleam under the streetlamps outside, or at least to his imagination it was. He could just be fucking delusional at this point.

“Two queens.” Dean offered handing Roman the cards as he slid into the backseat. Seth was still out for the count pressed up against the glass, his hat dipped low so that it hid his eyes from the hard lighting. If Dean wasn’t so damn tired, he’d probably try to honk the horn, so it scared the shit out of Seth. Part way because it was fun fucking with Seth and another because he was an asshole and enjoyed it.

Roman hummed, wheel turning in his hands as he backed up slowly, so they could park in an indiscriminate location that was easy to leave the hotel and enter without intrusion. The boys got good at picking out spots that they felt comfortable in at different hotels.

Dean planted his head into his hands rubbing at his eyes like a sleepy toddler. It was getting harder to stay awake after long nights, but it made it easier having two other guys that he could rely on to make sure he had a room to sleep in and took care of himself. It was an odd feeling.

“You and Seth sharing?” Roman asked softly, head turned to their third member who was still out cold despite the doors starting to open as Dean pushed his open after Roman found a nice spot hidden behind some stairs and some trees.

“Yeah,” Dean accepted, shuffling out of the car and groaning as he really took the time to bend and crack his back.

Roman did the same, rotating his arms before he was going to the back of the SUV and taking his bags as well as Seth’s which let Dean know he was on ‘get Seth in the room’ duty. His muscles were sore so trying to half carry/half walk a sleepy Seth would be torturous, but Dean didn’t complain. Seth would have done the same for him if the situations were reversed.

Dean slung on his backpack and pulled out his roller suitcase while he shut the automated door. Roman was already stepping ahead, heading back to the hotel’s opening to trek up to their room on the third floor.

The sound of his suitcase was loud on the gravel concrete as he walked around to Seth’s side.

Dean let out a fond sigh at seeing Seth’s nose all squished up against the glass. Dean’s fingers rapped up against the glass window hard making the smaller man jolt inside, his hat flying off and coming awake with a snort that would have down right embarrassed him on any given day if he didn’t look so alarmed and confused.

Dean opened the passenger door with a laugh, “Wakey Wakey time to go sleep in bed.”

“Wha...” Seth slurred out eyes having trouble focusing and looking all of 6 years old at the moment.

Dean sighed, grabbing onto Seth’s bicep and lightly tugging the man out of the car. “Come on,” Dean grunted. “I gotta take a piss Seth.”

It spoke volumes to the fact that Seth didn’t freak out since he was still so damn confused, if anything as soon as Dean’s callused palm touched the younger man’s skin he seemed to relax farther, taking unsteady steps out of the car as if he was a baby giraffe after birth, learning to walk.

“Dude,” Dean huffed out a grunt as Seth’s weight leaned into his side. “You’re so lucky I don’t have my phone out right now to record this.”

They made an unsteady, awkward shuffle to the door with Seth becoming more alert the longer he stayed out in the cold. Eventually Seth was able to remain upright without face planting which Dean counted as a win because when they eventually made it to the elevators his forearm muscle was throbbing in pain.

They rode up in companionable silence as Seth leaned his tired body against the wall, eyes closing.

When the elevator dinged Seth gave a little start with a snort that had Dean laughing again as he made sure the guy managed to get out of the elevator without breaking his leg. He guided him to room 307 which was down the hall to the right.

Dean knocked on the door softly, waiting for Roman to let them in, and Roman unlocked the door with a click, golden brown skin on display as he already stripped down to his boxers and was brushing his teeth.

Dean dropped his stuff off by the door with a loud plunk as he manhandled Seth to the bed, pushing him down and dropping down next to him fully clothed.

Dean threw an arm over his eyes and sighed in relief.

“You gonna sleep with your clothes on, _babe_?”

Dean pulled his arm off and blinked hazily. “Fuck it.” He replied, watching Roman wipe off his mouth with a towel before smiling softly. The ‘babe’ thing was something new. Roman just started calling either him or Seth that out of the blue and despite his initial panic over it he began liking it. It was a team of endearment, or a pet name, and was only resorted for him and Seth.

“You won’t be saying fuck it when you sweat to death in the night.” Roman reminded him, hands already deftly removing Seth’s shoes, pulling at the man’s sweats until he was clothed in only boxers and a t-shirt. It was a scene of intimacy that became perfectly normal for them. They helped one another out and since Seth was too tired to rid himself of his clothes Roman did it without asking.

Seth gave a snuffle in reply burrowing deeper into the pillow as Roman raided the closet for an extra blanket and threw it over Seth’s body.

Dean groaned realizing that Roman, as always, was right.

Cursing softly, Dean wrangled with his jeans until he was flinging himself out of bed and wrestling out of them. He threw off his shirt on the floor and peeled back the covers that were under Seth’s body with difficulty.

“God damn it,” Dean cursed again punching at his pillow before he was reaching over and turning off the light to match Roman’s side of the room.

The man had already slipped into bed himself.

“N’ght Roman.” Dean mumbled sleepily rubbing his head against the pillow.

“Good night Dean.” Roman replied evenly and with that Dean was drifting off.

* * *

 

**_HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

Dean groaned rolling over in bed his arm hitting Seth’s.

**_HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

The noise persisted, burrowing deeper until it was hurting his ear drum. “Fuck,” Dean breathed in annoyance pulling his pillow and burying his head underneath it hoping to drown out the noise.

However, nothing he did would quit the buzzing that was going off, obviously from one of their cell phones. Considering that Roman’s was on the night stand next to him and Seth turned his off the only culprit was Dean’s.

**_HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

The phone continued its aggravating buzzing only stopping for about 30 seconds before it was buzzing again.

“Dean.” Seth whined groggily shoving at Dean’s arm in irritation.

“Fuck you.” Dean shoved back not really sure if he was cursing at Seth or his phone. He continued hiding underneath his pillow until Roman was groaning, waking up from his sleep with a firm ‘Dean’.

His voice meant no arguments, so Dean cursed as he threw his pillow to the floor, unfurling himself from the covers as he bumped into the nightstand with a loud bang.

**_HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

“Shit!” Dean cursed. Blinding reaching in the dark as the buzzing continued.

A pillow whiffed him making him stumble into the wall, “fucking hell Roman! I’m fucking answering it. Don’t get your god damn panties in a twist.” Dean grumbled knowing it was the Samoan throwing pillows.

Eventually Dean stumbled to his backpack, the bag shaking with each buzzing. Dean unzipped the pockets until his hand was connecting with the phone’s bright blue screen cheerfully informing him, he had a call and it was fucking 3 AM. “God damn it.” Dean cursed again answering the phone with a harsh “What the fuck?” as he was stepping outside to not disturb the other two.

Dean blinked, rubbing the crust out of his eyes, phone held up to his ear but there was no response on the other end just heavy breathing

Dean pulled the phone back with a frown, noting his phone was showing unknown caller. “Real fucking funny jackass.” Dean groused, hanging up in annoyance.

Anger was boiling inside of his stomach the jitters getting the better of him at having been unceremoniously woken up and forced to take a prank phone call late at night. Dean thanked his lucky stars that the door didn’t lock behind him as he was turning his phone off and roughly shoving it back in the bed.

At the amount of noise, he was making Roman groggily asked, “Babe?” Concern and questioning in one single word making Dean feel warm inside.

“Go back to bed it was nothing.” Dean offered. His hands shook as he finally grasped what he was looking for, his pack of cigarettes buried at the bottom.

Roman accepted his answer without a fuss as Dean made sure to snag a key card, this time quietly, from Roman’s bedside before he was slipping outside for a smoke.

Dean got very good at recognizing where the fire exits were in hotels so that he could slip through windows toward a fire escape for a smoke. Thankfully, this hotel was no exception. He only had to wander the third floor for about five minutes before he was coming up on a window down a hallway that offered an exit to the fire escape.

The only risk was if the hotel had alarms wired to it.

Dean took a chance as his trembling hands made contact with the cold metal and pushed the window up slightly. He breathed a sigh of relief when no alarms, that he could hear at least, sounded.

The stiff wind almost blew him back in the window making his teeth chatter. He was clothed in only a jacket he snagged from his backpack and boxers. With shaking hands, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it inhaling deeply with a satisfied groan.

The cigarette did wonders for making him feel warm inside his tension melted away and his hands no longer shook as vigorously. “Fuck yeah,” Dean sighed out blowing out smoke. If anyone was close enough, they would have thought Dean was jacking off up there with the happy sounds that escaped his mouth but fuck, it was a long ass time since he had a smoke. He was promising Seth and Roman to try and quit so his last one was a few weeks ago. However, tonight rattled him in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

Maybe he was just so dead tired that being ripped out of a peaceful sleep was fucking him up. Either way the cigarette felt and tasted heavenly on his lips.

After a few minutes Dean was flicking the stub into the darkness below before he was climbing back inside the hotel. His skin was chilly as he tiredly trudged back to the room.

Sliding into bed next to Seth Dean sighed as he covered his chilly body.

“You smell like smoke.” Seth murmured eyes closed but nose scrunched up.

“You like it.” Dean mumbled back eyes already slipping closed and sleep overtaking him.

* * *

 

Dean is shoveling a fork full of pancake in his mouth when Roman gets that pissy look on his face. He only savors that specific pissy look when something is bugging him, and that something is usually related to Dean.

Seth is inhaling his coffee as if the stuff would give him immortality somehow, so the conversation is halted except for the sound of Dean devouring food and the white noise of Roman’s bitch face as he tried and failed to hide it behind his glass of orange juice.

The diner they picked to eat at was off the radar and pushed back. They tended to try and find places to eat where they wouldn’t get swamped and thankfully, past a little boy who looked to be with his great grandparents, they haven’t had any fans really _approach_ them and disrupt their breakfast.

“Spit it out.” Dean finally says after swallowing the pancakes his tongue peeking out and licking at the syrupy taste on his lips.

“What?” Roman asked, mock offended at being called out. Roman’s dumbass routine could be amusing sometimes but sometimes it definitely grated on Dean’s nerves.

“You’ve been sitting like you’ve soiled your diaper for the last ten minutes. I obviously pissed you off somehow go ahead and tell me, so we can get this shit over with.”

Seth joins in on the conversation furrowing his brows. “You don’t already know?”

Dean’s blue eyes swing between the two men sitting in front of him, ever oblivious. “I got nothing.” Dean shrugs as he stabs his eggs and mixes them in the syrup on the plate before shoving those down his gullet.

“Babe, _come on_ ,” Roman moans setting down his glass with a clink.

“Whuft?” Dean asks confused bits of food flying out making Seth lean back quickly with a muttering of ‘jesus christ’ jerking his coffee away as if it was gold.

“The phone call?” Roman finishes. “That _ring_ any bells?”

Dean scrunches his brows in confusion before the annoying sound of **_HNNNGGGG_** bounces in his skull. “Ohhhhh...yeah that was fucking annoying.”

And with that Dean dropped the conversation and went back to stabbing at his plate again leaving the two men sitting across from him flabbergasted.

“Who was calling you then?” Seth said, exasperated.

Dean shrugged. “Wrong number I guess.”

Roman lets out a ‘pffftt’ noise mumbling under his breath ‘wrong number my ass’ clearly not amused with how flippant Dean was being about it, considering the annoying buzzing went on for a good five minutes or more before Dean rolled his ass out of bed to answer it.

“Have you tried blocking numbers?” Seth offered.

“Seth, you’re lucky if I remember how to turn the phone on let alone know how to block a number. Who do you think I am Houdini?”

“That’s a magician you imbecile not a _genius._ ” Seth snarks back quickly, finally setting down his coffee to hold his hand out fingers wiggling obviously asking for Dean’s phone.

Dean grunted, digging in his pants pocket as he banged his knee against the table with a curse. Roman gave him this look of pure pity and fondness wrapped into one that _clearly_ showed that Roman was amused at watching the shenanigans unfold in their conversation. Dean sneered at him just because as he finally planted his black phone into Seth’s waiting hand.

“Also, uh, sorry if there’s porn on there.”

Dean grinned as Roman laughed and Seth let out a disgusted grunt of annoyance at how lewd Dean could be.

“Ugh,” Seth moaned wiping fingers against his skinny jeans in hopes of erasing the feeling of stickiness and grit from his hand.

“What Rollins?” Roman asked face already lighting up in a smile.

“What in the world does one _do_ with a phone to make it this dirty?”

Dean, whose attention was solely focused on gulping down the last bit of milk he could muster popped off the glass with a loud ‘ahhh’ before starting, “well you see-”

“Nope, nope nope.” Seth mumbled quickly, unlocking Dean’s phone with ease. “Don’t need to hear the rest of that.”

“You fell into that one babe.” Roman murmured softly hand brushing Seth’s shoulder blades.

Dean’s eyes traced the movement mesmerized before he was being broken out of it by Seth making a distressed, whiny sound. Figuring Seth was about to lay into him about his music choices Dean readied himself.

However, the next words out of Seth’s mouth was a complete surprise.

“Dude, this doesn’t look good.”

The air let out of Dean’s lungs in pure confusion, or indigestion from eating too quickly, Dean couldn’t be too sure. “Huh?”

Roman peered closer at the screen, eyes squinting as Seth scrolled down using his thumb.

Dean, feeling anxious at being left out, leaned over the table as well pushing his plate to the side with a loud scrape that seemed to break everyone out of their staring.

“What’s not good?”

“This!” Seth pointed showing the same unknown caller number showing up repeatedly in his call logs all around the same hours of the morning.

“Babe,” Roman huffed out worried his brown eyes focusing on Dean. If Dean focused enough, he could possibly hear a small ounce of disappointment in his tone. The feeling of shame washed over him enough to angrily rip the phone out of Seth’s hands.

“Hey asshole!” Seth groused. “Don’t snatch shit out of my hands.”

Dean didn’t say anything except to pocket his phone quickly mood instantly sour.

“Hey,” Roman said softly hand reaching across the table to settle along Dean’s heated skin. “We’re just worried, okay? A fan likely got a hold of your number and you need to change it.”

“But I had this number for like two years now.” Dena argued, sounding petulant to his own ears.

“It’s not like you ever give out your number to people anyway Dean.” Seth reminded him, the fucking killjoy. Woo hoo Dean had no social life outside of Seth and Roman, buzzkill.

Dean simply shrugged, his fingers digging for his wallet now as Seth copied him.

“At least consider it, okay?” Roman asked standing up and stretching before pulling out his wallet as well.

“Okay.” Dean acquiesced not fully committing but saying at least _something_ to get Roman and Seth off his case.

“That’s our boy.” Seth joked hand coming up and ruffling Dean’s curls until they were a mess in front of his face. Dean blew them making Seth laugh at how ridiculous he looked.

Small moments like these were getting harder and harder to come by the bigger and bigger they got in the wrestling world. Dean treasured them because he had a horrible feeling it would all be gone.

* * *

 

Another arena. Another live event. Another six-man tag.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Not that Dean dislikes the six-man tags at _all_ , he loves them, but it’s the people running house shows he personally dislikes.

He sees the looks they get when they arrive. The way the seas part not because of awe but because they don’t want to be associated with them. People fear the Shield. Dean should be proud. He wants them to fear them. It’s what his promo was about. The fear they create in people. But people are also wary, wary in a way that spells trouble later on.

The Shield had made A LOT of enemies in their short time in WWE and backstage management was no exception to that fact.

“You can’t just go making up your own stuff Ambrose! That’s why we have writers for.”

Dean shrugged nonchalantly as the water bottle in his hand got quickly uncapped and he was fitting it to his mouth again. The sweat was still sticky across his neck making him wish he didn’t decide to take a quick piss before heading to the locker room area with his boys.

Management quickly caught up with him and he’s been getting an ear full ever since.

“Ambrose? Are you even listening to me?”

The smaller statured man was about chest height to him with a mean look on his face and the stereotypical foot tapping in annoyance. It made Dean roll his eyes.

“Haven’t heard a reason _to_ start listening to you so I suppose not.”

“Are you fucking serious I should have you sus-” The man was cut off mid-sentence as a shadow slowly engulfed him.

Roman towered over the man hair still wet from his shower neck cracking in full intimidation mode. “Do we have a problem here?”

“Yeah we have a problem! He was-” The man stopped again mid-sentence his eyes bulging a little as Roman leaned in closer this time throwing out the question a few octaves lower than normal. “Do _we_ have a problem here?”

The man looked as if he wanted to argue more but eventually, he decided to pick his battles and choose wisely. “N-o no sir. Not at all.”

Roman side stepped without saying a word, obviously telling the guy to scram, the man looked at Dean again his face puckered as if he sucked on a fresh lemon and marched off cursing to himself.

Dean huffed to himself finishing off the water bottle. “Dude you almost made him piss his pants.”

Mean Roman was gone replaced by the smiling, goofy Samoan as he laid a heavy arm across his shoulder leading him down the hallway to the locker rooms. “It’s what brothers are for, no?”

Dean just nodded in response. He still had a hard time understanding the concept of _brothers_.

“Come on, go take a shower so we can get the hell outta here.” Roman said with a slap/push to his back careening him forward.

“Amen to that _brother._ ”

By the time he and Roman make it back to the locker room Seth was in the process of stepping out of the shower. He had a towel wrapped around his waist as water glistened and fell off his pecs down his abs. Both he and Roman were caught staring uncomfortably before Seth was giving them concerning looks considering both men looked as if they were one second from drooling.

Dean snapped himself out of it as Roman busied with drying his hair off with a towel plopped on the floor.

Disposing himself of his ring gear in a heap in the corner Dean stepped into the shower and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it.

He leaned his head against the tile as water pounded against his back. He let out a groan as the water massaged his aching back muscles.

He’s not sure how much time passed but suddenly he feels goosebumps start to prickle on his forearms as a cold breeze brushes his back. His hair on his neck begins to stand up as his heart rate increases.

Turning around quickly, almost losing his balance Dean stared off into the tiled room out toward the door where the locker room was.

The room was as empty as it was when Dean came in it.

Dread filled his senses until he was quickly turning off the shower, grabbing a towel and racing out of the room, feet losing friction and skidding until he was shaking water everywhere in his wake.

The door to the shower room closed with a loud thud making two dark haired heads turn his way quickly.

Dean scanned the area but only Roman and Seth were in there. Roman was brushing invisible lint off his shirt while Seth dried his two-toned hair off and put it into a bun atop his head.

“Was someone in here just now?” Dean asked out of breath.

Both Roman and Seth just looked at him like deer caught in headlights.

“Never mind.” Dean mumbled, cheeks heating at realizing he looked like a grade A dork standing in his towel asking about intruders. He looked fucking crazy.

“Why don’t we head out for some beers later?” Dean offers instead busying himself with finding his bag to tug out some boxers, jeans and a shirt.

“I’m tired Dean.” Seth replied, voice working again as Dean stopped standing there naked in a towel dripping wet.

Once his boxers were finally on Dean slung the towel, water flying from it and hitting Roman in the face.

“Watch it, babe.”

“Okay so back to the hotel then?” Dean offered slipping on his jeans and buttoning them before he was pulling on his white t-shirt.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Dean was driving tonight as they walked toward the parking garage where their rental car was waiting. He had the clicker in his hand, wanting to set off the alarm so that Seth would jump like a cat but each slight nudge from Roman told him that the older man was on to him and was telling him gently to not be a dick.

Their voices reverberated in the concrete garage especially Seth’s grating, nasally laugh as he watched as Dean stumbled on his untied shoe laces for the hundredth time, him not wanting to tie them since he just wanted to get the hell out of dodge.

“I don’t know why I put up with you.” Dean grits out shoving Seth sideways which only makes the man laugh more.

“You lo-” Roman’s sentence immediately purged as all three of them rounded up to their rental SUV.

There gleaming in the bright white light of the parking garage was their black SUV, with a huge heart sloppily scratched into the hood the paint specks of black coating the ground around it.

Neither man said a word for a few seconds too stunned to speak before Seth was dropping his bag and immediately freaking out over the rental.

“Jesus fuck!” Seth ran his hands across the hood wincing as he did so. “How the fuck are we going to explain _this_ to the rental company?”

“I know.” Dean agreed. “I mean _how_ embarrassing to start off with. Look how shitty this heart is drawn. I could totally draw a better one than that.”

“Dean!” Seth interjected. “Be serious.”

Finally, Roman spoke up his voice making Dean and Seth tear their eyes off the hood and focus on him. “You don’t think this is connected to the phone calls do you?”

“What? Psshhhh come _on_ Roman really?” Dean’s finger rubs along the clumsy lines with laughter at Roman’s suggestion. “The two are nowhere related dude.”

“Oooh like a stalker?” Seth pipes up from the side making Dean send him a shitty glance his way wishing he could strangle the weasel.

“A stalker?” Roman blanched.

Sensing that their resident big dog was freaking out Dean laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Let’s be real Roman. The heart is likely a symbol of some 16-year-old girls’ affection for you because you look so hot in your tactical vest.” Dean offered with a wink making both Seth _and_ Roman say his name with an annoyed fondness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're getting a little farther advanced now. I hope that I managed to capture their personalities for early 2013. This will eventually be an ambrolleigns story so I wanted to keep it sort of subtle but include a lot of pinning to make it seem natural. Hope you like this chapter.

It’s three in the morning when a vibration starts up within the pits of Dean’s bag. It rattles his metal belt buckle in a way that has the sound bouncing across the room and hitting Dean straight in the ear drum making him groan low in his throat.

His body rolls over from the couch he’s currently sleeping on since there was only one bed in the room. His long legs practically hang off the end and his arm trails the ground uncomfortably but he doesn’t really mind the sleeping arraignments.

It feels like there is a bushel of cotton in his mouth as he rotates his jaw and lets out a huge yawn that makes Seth grumble a few feet away.

“Fuck,” Dean is muttering throwing the pillow over his head to drown out the sounds of the annoying vibrating that won’t seem to end.

**_HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

The vibration won’t quit however, and no amount of a pillow smashed to his face is drowning out the frustrating noise.

Dean was one step away from rolling off the couch completely to take care of the offending object when he’s suddenly surprised by a low growl that comes from across the room.

His frizzy hair peeks out from the pillow as his eyes try to focus in the dark lighting.

He finally spots Roman who is uncurling from his bed, blankets flinging to the ground in agitation as he stomps over to Dean’s bag ripping it open and grabbing the offending thing in his hand.

Dean thinks Roman is about to shatter his phone with his bare hands. He’s fully awake now sitting up on the couch and watching Roman’s actions with fascination.

Except Roman’s rage just transfers to his voice when he’s finally taking the call that wouldn’t end. “Who the hell is this?”

His voice sends shivers down Dean’s spine.

“Answer me damn it!” Roman demands obviously not getting an answer just like the previous times before. “Stop calling this number.” Roman warns before Dean could audibly hear the sound of the phone going dead on the other end.

The annoying vibrating is now gone replaced with Roman’s harsh breathing. He still has the phone to his ear as if he was prepared to dial the number back and give it an ear full. Dean could see his muscles shaking and straining in agitation from his position on the couch.

The moment is broken by their resident architect, who must have got woken up due to Roman practically shouting, he’s sitting up in bed his two-toned hair a rat’s nest on top of his head.

He blinks owlishly before suggesting. “Why don’t we go find a store that’s open with some coffee? We have to be up in two hours anyway.”

Dean flops back down on the couch dramatically groaning in response.

The Shield finds themselves at the resident 7/11 gas station with shitty coffee machine to boot. Dean has his hoodie on, buried beneath the fabric in hopes that he could just melt away into oblivion. He’s already in a bad mood considering the stupid phone call that woke them all up and the fact that Roman really refused to speak to him and he seems pissed at him over it.

Normally, Dean wouldn’t give a shit if someone had a problem with him. He can’t quite put his finger on it but if either Seth or Roman is mad at him he feels off until he can fix it. It instantly puts him in a sour mood and manages to knock him down a few pegs. It fucking sucks.

Dean’s still brooding silently by the magazine stand when Seth finally comes over into his line of sight. He’s carrying a large Styrofoam coffee cup.

Seth lazily dressed in a long sleeve shirt with skinny jeans to boot. He looks a bit outlandish considering it was about 40 degrees outside, but Dean can’t help but notice the little sleep crinkles near his eyes, or how his hair is tied into a messy bun that looks soft to the touch, or the way his lips-

Dean stops himself from that line of thinking immediately, shaking his head and reaching out a hand with a gruff ‘thanks’. Seth was off without a word, possibly going back to try and whip up some fancy latte or something but what catches Dean’s eyes when he finally stares down at the warm cup in his hand is how it looks.

The coffee is obviously black.

The sentiment that Seth has somehow memorized how Dean takes his coffee is both endearing and frightening at the same time. If Dean honestly gave a lot of thought to it, he could probably easily whip up Seth’s coffee too.

Dean’s skin begins to get itchy at the thought. His shoulder blade comes up in an involuntary tick as he’s shaking himself loose of the thoughts.

He can hear Roman mumbling softly to the cashier near the front of the store, obviously loading up on snack foods to curb his morning appetite.

The only sounds in the store at 4 AM is the sound of the overhead light buzzing softly, the coffee machine making its noises of death trying to brew coffee and the sound of the muted music that sounds like someone Roman’s Dad would listen to pumping through the shitty speakers.

It’s peaceful in a way Dean can’t quite explain.

He blinks a few times before he’s plucking up a popular mechanics magazine from rack next to him and leaning against the cold glass window browsing through it.

He’s takes a sip of his hot coffee with a wince as it burns his tongue and sends fire down his gullet, but the feeling of shitty coffee begins to liven him up enough that the fog from little sleep is dissipating from his brain.

Even though the only people in the store this early is he, Seth and Roman Dean begins to get a chill down his spine that isn’t related to the chilly morning.

Goosebumps begin to crawl up his arms. His grip on the magazine tightens causing the pages to crinkle and crease.

His head slowly turns, coffee cup shaking in his hand, as his eyes search the blackness of morning for any sign of _something_.

Dean’s heart rate begins to settle when he sees nothing. His eyes scan the gas station pumps lazily, tracking over each crevasse for something unknown but nothing.

The feeling of dread still stays with him though as his eyes never leave the outside. The feeling that something or someone is out there currently watching him doesn’t go away.

“Hey, did I make your coffee okay?”

Seth’s soft voice right next to his left side causes him to flinch, so focused on looking out the window that he sloshes his coffee all over his hand, effectively burning his skin.

He hisses with a curse dropping the clinched magazine and awkwardly trying to transfer the cup to his other hand, so he could blow off the burnt one.

“Dean,” Seth says confused a frown clear on his face. His hands reach out instinctively grabbing at Dean’s flailing hand and guiding him over to their bathrooms.

Dean goes without a word, energy entirely depleted.

The bathroom is as gross as one would imagine, it gives Dean hives just thinking about all the diseases that could possibly reside inside one of them, so he works hard to try not to touch anything.

“Alright here we go.” Seth is still talking softly, probably has been this whole time, but Dean has been spacing out.

“What?”

“Your hand dummy. You didn’t burn it too bad but it’s still red.” Cold water rushes out of the old faucet with a creak and is cooling down Dean’s heated skin instantly. The pain eventually simmers down to a dull ache making Dean sigh.

“Thanks.” He mumbles awkwardly their hands still touching where they’re joined underneath the cold water despite Seth not needing to keep his there anymore.

“What was that?” Seth finally asked. The special moment was broken as the water gets turned off and paper towels are being shoved his way. Dean grumbles, really not wanting to explain his feelings about it. “It was nothing.”

“But Dean-” Seth tries to rebuttal, but the words are falling on deaf ears as Dean’s already bursting out of the bathroom face set in a grimace. He didn’t even realize he had the stupid coffee still locked in a death grip of his other hand until Seth was catching up to him, stopping his march outside by tugging on his arm.

The coffee cup is wrestled out of his grasp from Seth, clearly concerned he was going to spill it on himself again.

Seth was giving him this look of ‘what is with you’ that hurts to Dean’s very core. His brown eyes show concern, but Dean doesn’t want to even admit it out loud in fear of making it true.

The moment is broken up by Roman, oblivious to what previously happened, with a honey bun stuffed comically in his mouth and a bag full of drinks and snacks in his one hand.

“What?” Roman tries to say but chunks of honey bun come out anyway spraying Seth who gives an exaggerated shriek of ‘Roman!’ breaking the tense moment.

Dean finds himself relaxing marginally his walls coming down. “Nothing big guy. Let’s go before you make Sethie here puke. Can’t be looking awful for our interview at the radio station now, can we?”

The ride back to their hotel is done in silence. No one really spoke about the incident that happened at the store, but Dean feels it weighing on him heavily. His hands are shoved inside of his pockets when he finally trudges into their hotel room around 4:45 AM. They need to be at the radio station at 6.

Dean immediately gets to work digging through his bag for a pair of jeans that didn’t look like death warmed over and a button down, at Seth’s insistence.

The tension in the air is thick.

Dean feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up which causes him to turn around with a frown. Roman is simply standing behind him, staring at him. Seth is off to the side clearly trying to act as if he’s busy getting ready but obviously listening and watching what was happening.

Dean can’t get a read on Roman’s expression at all which pisses him off. “What?”

“Dean,” Roman sighs a crease lining his forehead. Dean reads that as him being agitated when it’s likely due to worry.

“Don’t bother okay.” Dean quickly interjects turning back around so he didn’t have to see Roman’s face of anger. He dug through his bag again until he was finally clasping onto his belt and pulling it out.

“All I was going to say is that the phone calls are becoming more and more frequent.”

Dean flinched. The tone in Roman’s voice sounded highly pissed to him. The phone calls were absolutely irritating for sure and its Dean’s fault for not doing something about them is what he figured Roman was going to say. Dean could deal with anger except what Roman says next sends him for a loop.

“It’s causing us to lose sleep over it and I _really_ think you should consider changing your number. Me and Seth could even help you with it.”

Instead of anger or disappointment in his voice Dean hears...hears concern? Roman’s soft tones send him spinning. When he’s finally facing Roman again, he sees his eyes shining brightly no hint of anger in his stance at all. He looks tired and worn out. Seth, despite trying to remain neutral in this conversation is still staring raptly at the two. He too looks exhausted.

Dean bites his lip eyes looking anywhere but at the two men in front of him. Roman couldn’t be concerned for Dean. Roman was concerned for himself and Seth. This whole situation was ruining their sleep which in turn would hurt their wrestling.

Dean just huffs out cruelly pushing past Roman. “I can handle it myself.”

“Dean,” Roman tries again but Dean’s already sliding into the bathroom throwing the lock into place loudly and plopping down on his ass with his head in his hands.

He can hear Roman’s muttering behind the door and Seth talking softly, obviously calming Roman down from killing Dean.

“I’m so fucking screwed.”

* * *

 

The ride down to the radio station was done in relative silence. Dean found himself tugging at the collar of his button down like a child, more often than naught, due to the fact it felt suffocating to him.

The more he analyzed the situation however the more he questioned whether it was his clothes that felt suffocating or just the atmosphere in the car.

Roman was obviously hurt and pissed. Dean could see that from a mile away. The way his hands clenched against the steering wheel, or the fact that he wouldn’t even let Seth play his typical emo music was another big sign.

So, it’s with a heavy heart that Dean unfolds from the car and dutifully follows his brothers into the radio station, pulling his leather jacket tighter around him as if it was some kind of cloak. Dean was not looking forward to doing this at _all_.

A handler was waiting there for them to direct them where they needed to be and to obviously play buffer for WWE. It was something that took Dean awhile to get used to.

“Just wanted to say welcome boys to the station. Me and Dirk here have been a long-time wrestling fan and wanted to know how Pennsylvania is treating you?”

The man already has an irritating voice that shoots through Dean’s skull increasing his pissy mood. Seth, obviously noticing his sour expression, elbows him gently underneath the table before answering, “Very good. We’ve been here quite a few times and always enjoy the crowds. Though we all could do without the cold weather.”

Everyone chuckles in the room at Seth’s forced joke, which Roman immediately chimes in that he’s a southern boy and can’t stand the cold.  From there the conversation flows enough that Dean feels as if he’s floating through it.

“It seems as if you boys have somehow created a Beatles like frenzy with some of the female fans of WWE. What are the crazy fans like and is this new level of fame affecting any of you?”

The lull in conversation immediately ceases to the point that Dean snaps back from his current zoning out and recognizes that everyone at the table is obviously staring at him, waiting for an answer.

“Uh....” Dean scratches at his scraggly hair like a dog, his voice 3 octaves lower due to misuse. “Could you repeat the question?”

The radio hosts chuckle, obviously enjoying Dean’s lackadaisical attitude but Seth sends him a worried look that shoots straight through Dean’s spine until he’s forcing Seth’s eyes out of his peripheral by leaning forward.

“I understand Dean, it’s really early in the morning for us too sometimes. We wanted to know about any encounters with crazy fans and if this new level of fame has affected you guys any?”

Dean flashes back to his phone ringing upon all hours of the night keeping them all up and winding them up to the point of insanity. Dean opens his mouth to speak but finds the only thing that happens to fall out is an embarrassing huff of air.

Feeling red creep onto his cheeks Dean licks his lips preparing to crack some joke at his own expense to make the situation feel less awkward when Seth immediately chimes in, his nasally voice soothing Dean’s instant embarrassment like ice to a burn.

“Oh, we deal with _all_ kinds of crazy. From big valentines and teddy bears to following us at airports but we’re a team and we watch out for one another.”

“Believe that.” Roman added, almost like an amen, that had everyone smiling and laughing again. All Dean could focus on was the warmth spreading across his chest.

* * *

 

The warmth dissipated instantly when the cold, harsh weather bit across Dean’s cheeks making his teeth clack together. He roughly pulls his jacket tighter with a curse as they slip into the car and head back to the hotel to get ready for tonight’s matches.

The ride back to the hotel is silent, a nice quiet that Dean welcomes. Roman doesn’t try and pester him and Seth’s music is kept low to the point that Dean could almost fall asleep to it.

Dean however should have obviously known that the quiet wouldn’t last. He should have known Roman well enough that he wouldn’t leave shit alone, _ever._

As soon as their door was closing, and Dean was brushing lingering snowflakes from his head Roman turned to him and gave him the _look._

“Dean,” Roman started but Dean had already managed to block out Roman effectively by bolting to the bathroom door again, planning to shut himself in there until it was time to go.

However, Roman was one step ahead of him, obviously already knowing what Dean was planning on doing.

The knowledge terrified him. Just how well Roman knew him.

“No, don’t do that again. Come on man, we need to talk.”

Dean grit his teeth, agitation thrumming through his veins. “Who says I want to talk? Who says there is any damn thing to talk about?”

Roman gave him a pitiful look that struck through Dean’s core. “Don’t act stupid Dean.”

“You’re not my father Roman. I’m a grown man if I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t have to.” Dean recognized he sounded like a whiny teenager, but he needed to get away from Roman’s stare; he felt trapped. Dean turned from Roman without a glance backwards and ran straight into Seth who had already disrobed from his heavy winter jacket and was wearing a crinkled band tee.

“What about talking to me?” Seth offered softly, their different approaches feeling like good cop bad cop and making Dean’s head spin. “I think we really need to talk about this Dean.”

Dean groaned, hand going up to his collarbone and scratching in agitation. His eyes were tightly clenched shut so he didn’t have to witness the look of disappointment from Seth or Roman at him falling back into old habits and tics that he successfully managed to keep on the back burner.

Anxiety was welling up inside of himself until he felt ready to explode.

Roman’s soft, “please Dean?” coupled with a hand on his shoulder had Dean angrily shrugging it off with a scream of “no!”

Seth flinched at the shout as Dean breathed raggedly, eyes darting from both Seth to Roman and soaking in their looks of disappointment, disapproval and worst of all _pity._

Dean couldn’t stand it. “I said no! God, just leave me alone, alright?”

Dean shrugged past both Roman and Seth his feet carrying him toward the door with a mumbled, “I’ll be back.”

The cold whipping wind welcomed him like a blanket as the door opened. Seth and Roman’s frantic pleas of “no wait!” got lost in the snow as Dean slammed the door.

* * *

 

Dean’s feet carried him a few blocks down to the local bar. His face was numb and his hands shaking as he pushed open the door.

The bars in any town became like a shining beacon to him. He spent much of his younger indie days getting wasted in bars and bringing home any warm body willing. It was a nauseating loop he went through going from angry to drunk to mindless sex and back again that sometimes made him sick if he thought too long about it.

He thought he had curbed his destructive habits but here he is, in another nameless bar sliding into the last bar stool available as he hunkers down as far as he can on himself before he’s rapping his knuckles on the bar top signaling for a drink.

It’s only about 2 in the afternoon so of course the bar is mostly empty except for the regulars. Dean’s still bundled in his heavy jacket so thankfully no one seems to recognize the man as he throws back the whiskey and revels in the burn down his throat.

The warmth in his belly does nothing to hide the coldness he feels deep in his heart. The ache he feels at thinking of how much he’s managing to fuck up the only good friendship he’s had in his lifetime but refusing to open up and let anyone in.

It’s a self-destructive cycle that Dean can’t seem to break no matter how hard he tries.

Another whiskey is plopped down in front of him and Dean swallows it back without a sound, wallowing in his own self-pity.

* * *

 

Roman stares at the clock on the wall that reads 3:10 as he ties his laces and gets ready to head to the arena.

Seth is staring out the window, a frown creasing his otherwise handsome features.

“Where do you think he is?”

“I’m hoping at the arena already.” Roman answers steadily hoping to quell the younger man’s worry.

“What if he’s not?” Seth asks back, obviously thinking of the worst already.

“Then we deal with it when we get there.” Roman assures coming up and laying a comforting hand on Seth’s shoulder. “He’ll come back to us. I know he will.”

* * *

 

“I think you’ve had enough for today buddy. It’s getting colder out, why don’t I call you a ride out of here?” The bartender suggests not unkindly but sternly enough that Dean’s drunk mind can get the picture. He’s being cut off.

Dean sneers and pushes himself from the stool with a wobble before quickly correctly himself before he face plants. The later it’s gotten the busier the bar has become, filling every inch with warm bodies making Dean sweat in his jacket.

His phone buzzes obnoxiously in his jeans making his ass go numb. He digs it out with a grumble already imagining that it’s a text from Roman cursing him out surely, but upon checking his phone all he can see is a notification from an unknown number.

If he was sober, he likely would have cautioned himself upon opening it. Seth’s lectures of viruses and other computer diseases apparently, would be ringing in his ears but Dean’s inhibitions and logical thinking has been lowered he’s opening it without a second to waste.

The words staring back at him are blurry until Dean’s bringing his phone closer to his face.

_I see u_

Dean feels the alcohol from earlier slosh in his belly painfully. His eyes snap up to stare at the crowd of faces, his breath coming in quick waves.

He pushes through the throng of people unsteadily earning jabs from elbows and curses until he’s fumbling out the door into the snow, his knees hit the white covered sidewalk painfully but all he could stare at was the empty streets pilling with blankets of white. No cars of people moving in sight.

With his phone shaking in his hand and his head spinning Dean checks the time again and curses at realizing how fucking late it was.

Knowing he was way too drunk to drive and no taxis seemed to be heading this way due to the snow Dean wanders down the icy sidewalk until he spots an old couple puttering along in a beat-up station wagon. He flags them down with a smile watching as the lady rolls her window down and Dean dips his head in.

“Sorry for interrupting your afternoon but could I ask a quick favor?”

“Bye Dean!” The old lady beams. “We’ll be watching you on TV soon!”

The station wagon putters off as Dean waves back pasting on a fake smile. Once the car is out of view Dean’s smile leaves and he’s rushing into the building clumsily. The alcohol is beginning to hit hard as drowsiness overtakes his entire being. He feels downright fucking exhausted and freaked out. The text message is still emblazoned in the back of his mind as he searches for Seth and Roman knowing that he’s so fucking late and likely very much in trouble.

Shuffling through the arena on dead weight, the noises from the music and the fans giving him a pulsing headache, Dean avidly searches for his partners throughout the throng of people. He roughly shoves past Sheamus who stops abruptly, ready to lay into him when Dean hears his name being called farther down the corridor.

“Better luck next time Casper.” Dean laments with a grin as Sheamus’ face contorts in anger before he’s sprinting off down the corridor to where finally, fucking finally, Seth and Roman come into view.

They have equal looks of both anger and worry plastered on their faces and Dean could do nothing but avert his eyes in shame as if he was a 5-year-old getting caught in the cookie car.

“Jesus Dean, where were you?” Seth finally breaks the silence crushing him in an oxygen depleting hug.

“Uh...” Dean stammers out a cough as Seth finally let’s go from the hug his blue eyes swinging from one man to the other. He’s saved from an answer when Roman finally speaks up.

“Management is fucking pissed off beyond belief. We were supposed to go on first you know.”

Dean winces out a “uh no...”

“Anyway,” Roman continues sliding a long arm across his shoulders. “We told them you were sick and you needed a few before you could wrestle. That seems to have worked pretty damn well.”

“It was my lie.” Seth beams proudly making Dean shrug off Roman’s shoulder all of the sudden feeling inadequate.

“You didn’t have to do that you know. I could have taken the heat.”

“Yeah we know.” Seth says sincerely. “But what are brothers for?”

Dean finally manages a grin at that line finally feeling as if he was back on stable ground with both of them again. He hated being in the dog house. “Do we have a match or...?”

The devilish grin that lights up both Roman and Seth’s face easily clued Dean into their little game making Dean groan out loud.

“Who is it?” Dean asks, afraid of the answer.

“Sheamus.” Seth says with a laugh watching as the color drains from Dean’s face.

“God damn it.” Dean curses rubbing at his face vigorously to try and liven himself up a little, wiping away any traces of the residual alcohol in his system and trying to prepare for the fact that he’s gonna be one walking bruise by the time he’s done in the ring.

“Don’t worry babe,” Roman offers sliding his arm back around his shoulders and steering him toward the locker rooms. “We got your back.”

* * *

 

“Oh, fuck you guys.” Dean groaned limping back to the backstage area with the help of Seth who was hefting most of his weight due to the fact that like Dean predicted Sheamus beat the living fuck out of him.

“Don’t be that way babe.” Roman shoots back an annoyingly cute little smirk adorning his face. Roman was manning the front making sure to move people out of their way or damn near plow them over if they didn’t move fast enough.

Dean couldn’t help but make connections back to Umaga the Samoan Bulldozer. It left him snickering to himself which made Roman and Seth give him equal looks of bafflement and concern.

Maybe he had a concussion too.

Dean heaved a sigh of relief at seeing their locker room finally materialize into view. His ankle was killing him currently and bongo drums kept going off in his head as if Africa by Toto was playing inside.

“Sweet sweet shower.” Dean moaned making Seth gag in fake disgust at how dirty his moan sounded.

“Oh, fuck you Rollins you like it when I-” Dean’s words died down completely as they got into their locker room. Roman, Seth and himself stood staring in rapt fascination at the lone present sitting atop one of the benches.

It was wrapped in pink and red wrapping paper with a bright white bow to match.

Dean sucked in a breath. “Oh fuck.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are progressing now on a lot of fronts. Would like to know what you think! Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.

Roman stares at the offending object with disgust before throwing it back down into the box trying his best to disguise his shaking hands.

“A lock of pink hair?” Seth questions still confused at what was found inside of the present once it was unwrapped. “What does that even mean?”

“Beats me man.” Dean shrugs, totally ignoring the fact that Roman and Seth have been amped up since walking into the locker room. The neatly wrapped present with Dean’s name scrawled in cursive on the tag was something neither man was expecting, certainly none of them expecting what was inside of the box either.

A lock of pink hair, obviously from a wig neatly corded with twine in two spots and laying lone in the middle of the box. Dean thought it was fucking weird sure, and _maybe_ it could have been connected to what was happening, the text message flashes in his mind making him shiver slightly and yank on his leather jacket even tighter, but he in no way considered any of this to be such a huge deal.

However, Seth and Roman most certainly thought differently. As Dean did his steadfast to ignore what was going on around him as he changed and got ready to go Seth and Roman were busy analyzing every ounce of the package, they could trying their best to decipher what it meant and whether this meant something ominous.

Judging by the way Roman stops in front of him as he’s attempting to tie his shoe, Dean figures that Roman and Seth determined it as being bad and he was about to get an ear full.

“Dude this is so not good.” Roman starts forcing a sigh out of Dean he didn’t realize he was holding. He finally tips up and catches Roman’s brown eyes leaking concern like a sieve.

“Come on Roman it’s not that bad.” Dean attempted.

“I think you’re being stalked Dean.”

“Ugh,” Dean groans burying his head in his hands. The ‘s’ word coming out again making him feel like shit. “It’s just fangirls Seth, I mean do you honestly think someone with a master plan can tie a bow lie that?” The forced joke was obviously not as funny to Seth and Roman as it was to him.

Their dual stink faces were beginning to sour his mood right back to where it was when he was throwing back whiskey shots. Refusing to give into their nagging worry any longer Dean stood up with a wince and a hiss yanking his arm away from Seth who attempted to steady him.

“Come on Dean. We shouldn’t just ignore this.” Roman tries again his stern voice making an appearance which causes Dean to flinch at hearing it.

Dean manages to hobble past Roman and Seth before turning around with an indifferent shrug. “It’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

And with that he hobbled the rest of the way out of the door biting his tongue at the fact that he just managed to successfully piss both of them off again. With each painful pulse of his headache as he managed to shuffle down the hallway without any help it was an awful reminder at how much he was managing to distance himself from the other two.

It took about twenty full minutes for Roman and Seth to finally catch up to him. He’s leaning against the car, hunched against the bitter cold the best he could. He resolutely ignores Roman and Seth completely and when finally, the door unlocks he gets inside soundlessly stretching out his leg on the backseat with a sigh of relief.

The mood inside the car is sour. Roman is sitting like a statue in the passenger seat dark eyes staring ahead as Seth drove.

It isn’t until about five minutes pass by that Seth obviously not liking how awkward the mood was in the car tried to lighten it.

“We at least have title shots at Extreme Rules remember? That’s coming up very soon guys.”

Seth’s message of encouragement hangs awkwardly in the air as neither Roman or Dean budge on their anger with one another. The sigh of disappointment from Seth hits Dean right in the stomach making his gut twist so he decides to try and ignore it by hoping that the headache will eventually knock him unconscious.

Whether the God’s heard his pleas or he was simply just concussed Dean wasn’t sure, but he was being shook awake by Seth around midnight.

He cracked open his bleary eyes with a groan stretching out as best he could in the back seat and wincing when his ankle got tweaked.

“Come on, Uce got us a room.” Is all Seth says before he’s hefting up his bags and heading toward the front of the hotel.

Dean yawned rubbing his crusty eyes before attempting to get out of the car without falling over like an idiot. The hotel lights were obnoxiously bright making Dean’s head begin to hurt again and instantly put him back into a sour mood. He doesn’t give a shit if his bags are still in the car or Seth and Roman got them out, he decides to forgo even checking as he makes a slow limp toward the hotel praying that he could get through tonight without another argument with the other two.

To Dean’s surprise Seth is waiting for him inside of the lobby right near the elevators. Given the fact that Roman was pissed and Seth seemed tired of his shit Dean figured he’d be left to his own devices to find the room.

However, low and behold there was Seth bags in hand still waiting patiently by the elevator. At noticing him coming Seth hit the up button soundlessly and held the door open as Dean tried to hurry his shuffle into the elevator.

When the doors closed with a ding Dean leaned against the wall and closed his eyes with a sigh.

“You really should have gotten looked at.” Seth says softly making Dean crack his eyes open.

“I’m fine.” Dean offers immediately closing his eyes again.

“You don’t look fine and Roman is worried about you.” The ‘so am I’ hangs in the air between them almost suffocating. Dean doesn’t respond back to any of that instead going on ignoring what he was feeling between them currently.

He’s never been so thankful in his life to hear an elevator door ding open. He grudgingly lets Seth help him hobble toward room 402 and waits until Seth knocks on the door for Roman to open it.

Roman opens it soundlessly, the lights already muted in the room, the one king bed turned down ready for bodies to simply crash into it and a couch with a pillow and a blanket already laid out.

As Dean limps into the room it was clear that Roman was silently apologizing in his own way by setting a tube of icy hot on one side of the bed, some aspirins and a bottle of water all clearly meant for Dean.

Dean feels touched by the gesture which forces a sickness to creep up his belly into his throat. He suddenly feels too hot and all but collapses near the couch dragging the pillow and blanket down onto the floor with him.

“Dean what are you doing?” Roman finally asks standing over his pathetic form currently melting into the carpet.

Dean throws the pillow over his head, so his answer is muffled. “Sl’ping.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Dean I’m taking the couch tonight and the bed is a king you and Seth can share. Come on man, you’re hurt.”

The concern in Roman’s voice makes Dean bite his bottom lip refusing to answer.

Roman clearly waits for him to answer him for a few more seconds because Dean can still feel him hovering over him.

Judging by the soft pad of feet Roman clearly gives up and moves around the room getting ready for bed. Dean shuts off all the current sounds and Seth and Roman’s muted voices as he dozes off to sleep.

“Ughhhgh.” An ungodly sound rips out of his throat as Dean gets ripped out of a peaceful sleep by the sudden urgency to piss.

It’s completely dark in the room when Dean manages to wrangle the pillow from on top of his head and the only light in the room currently seems to be a nightlight in the bathroom and the red glow of the clock proudly proclaiming it to be 3 am.

Dean further groans as his muscles awaken and the stiffness from sleeping on the floor begins to kick in. Luckily, his other two members seem to be too exhausted to hear him pathetically whining on the floor. Dean uses the couch as leverage to try to get up but completely fails when his muscles refuse to cooperate.

The burning need to pee will obviously have to wait until his teammates wake up and help drag him to the toilet apparently.

Dean drops his head back down on the ground with a wince, forgetting he was still on the floor.

Dean thinks back to currently what’s been happening between the three. He doesn’t know if he should start to worry that despite his best efforts to piss Roman off have only made Roman come back ten times stronger. All of his usual methods of pushing people away seem to be having quite the opposite effect on Seth and Roman.

He pushes, he gets nasty, he becomes an asshole and they shower him with concern and kindness. It was truly bizarre and something Dean hasn’t experienced before.

They seem to be completely breaking the rules of being a tag team. Sure, you had to get along with whoever you teamed with but the amount of care they are beginning to show one another is starting to freak Dean out. It’s like Seth and Roman _know_ him.  Dean’s worked his whole life in ensuring that no one got that close and Seth and Roman seemed to be insistently hacking away at the wall that Dean built up and it’s crumbling piece by piece.

The thought gives him anxiety to think about, makes his skin crawl in a way that is indescribable. However, when he experiences it, he feels so fucking warm and dare he say... _loved_ even?

“Ugh.” Dean groans again smushing the pillow back over his face to hopefully block out any further thoughts about his teammates. He so did not need this right now.

Knowing that it was already 3 am and that they had to be up around 5 to get ready to head on a plane for Cardiff made him wish he really did have a concussion so maybe he could excuse himself to sleep forever and ignore any of these weird, pervasive thoughts about Seth and Roman he seems to be having.

Dean is the first one up in the morning, showered, shaved, packed and dressed before Seth or Roman ever stirred.

His bladder was not so nicely reminding him that if he didn’t pee soon, he’d fucking explode so despite the pain he managed to somehow drag himself into the bathroom and thoughts of a nice warm shower enticed him to move his ass and just work through everything to try and become a somewhat functioning human being today.

He downed the aspirin Roman laid out last night and managed to rub some icyhot on his ankle to hopefully stop it from hurting further. He needed to rub some on his back due to how stiff it was but was too scared to ask Roman or Seth to rub anything into his skin right now given the thoughts he was having last night.

“Morning.” Seth tells him noticing Dean slumped in the hotel’s uncomfortable chair leaning on his hand and trying his best not to pass out.

“M’nin.” Dean grunted eyes shutting again as he let the lull of Seth and Roman getting ready pass the time.

“Did you take the aspirin?” Roman asked startling Dean out of his dozing and forcing him to let out an embarrassing snort.

“Huh?”

“Did you take the pills I laid out for you?” Roman tried again this time holding his palm against Dean’s forehead obviously checking for a fever of some sort. Dean felt his cheeks heat up at feeling Roman’s warm palm against his skin.

“Yes.”

“Good. You feel a little warm but maybe you could get some sleep in the car on the way to the airport.”

Dean swallows staring up into Roman’s eyes without a clue what to say other than nod his head like an idiot.

The tension in the air seems to have been forgotten entirely as all three men head out to the car.

Dean is thanking his lucky stars that Roman isn’t mad at him anymore and things can go on as normal. He takes Roman’s advice and lays out on the backseat, snagging a pillow from the hotel (stealing really) so he could lay his head down.

He has a ridiculously hard time falling asleep, but he lets his eyes fall closed anyway and lets the feeling of riding in a car attempt to soothe his aches and pains away.

He however picks up conversation happening in the front seat, obviously only intended to be between his other two passengers.

“Dean’s being a stubborn jackass.” Roman grumbles softly, obviously arguing currently with Seth.

Dean felt himself swallow thickly. Was Roman’s concern in the morning just an act?

“You’re being just as stubborn though and you know it. You need to lay off him; the more you push him the more he’ll push you away.” Seth answers back hotly. Dean doesn’t quite know how to feel about Seth defending him as he is.

Dean hears a sigh, obviously from Roman. He’s gearing up for Roman to secretly air about how much he hates Dean, how much he’s an annoying burden, an asshole and it’s getting to him.

Dean’s fully prepared for it to happen so when Roman finally opens his mouth and says, “I care about him Seth. I just don’t want him to get hurt.”

“I completely agree Roman but there is a better way to go about this with him. I care too so let’s try out best to work with him on it.”

Dean feels himself at a loss for words completely caught up in the words ‘I care about him’. He feels himself beginning to break a little bit, caught with emotions over this new revelation.

Seth and Roman cared. How is that even possible?

* * *

 

“Seth!” Dean yells from behind the ropes pointing wildly at something behind the younger man’s back. To his relief Seth turned around just in time to avoid being hit from behind and dishes out an awesome looking kick that rocks the other guys face.

Dean sighs heartbeat going back to normal. The mere thought of seeing Seth get hurt almost had him hopping over the ropes himself and beating the guy to a bloody pulp.

The strong feelings of protectiveness he felt surging inside of him was definitely weird. Building on what happened previously in the day Dean couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Hearing Seth and Roman say they cared about him has made Dean take an unfortunate hard look in the mirror and ask himself the tough question of, “well I care about them too.” So, what does that mean?

Struggling with this new identity of a person who had people who cared for him and him caring for people in return was like a lead weight hanging over his shoulder, grounding him down until he felt like he couldn’t walk.

He could not begin to describe the feelings coursing through his body.

With the match over with the boy’s head to the back smiling along the way until they are accosted by a group of backstage personnel.

It looks serious so Dean steps in front of the other two, thinking it’s about him skipping out on a house show and wanting to not let Seth and Roman take the fall for him.

“Listen-” Dean starts but is quickly cut off by the guy holding a clipboard and an ear piece in his ear.

“We need you guys on a helicopter in less than five minutes.”

“Uh what?” Dean stammers out confused.

“Helicopter?” Roman asks a hint of something in his voice Dean can’t quite make out.

“You guys are going to main event RAW tonight in London against Team Hell No and the Undertaker, so we need to get you on a helicopter stat to make it there in time.”

“The Undertaker?” Seth says a little breathless like he’s about to faint.

“Are you kidding us right now?” Dean asks again looking between the beady little eyes of the employees thinking they were being pranked but the man’s eyes just rang seriousness, if not a little anxious, likely due to the time schedule.

“You’ve gotta be shitting m-” Dean’s cut off again as Seth smooshes him to his chest whispering in his ear about how awesome this was. Dean, feeling the euphoria begin to take over him as well, hugged him back.

“We’ve made it boys.” Dean mutters into Seth’s shoulder as Roman comes behind them and squeezes them both until Dean felt like popping like a cork.

From there they were being quickly shoved and prodded to the top of the building which apparently had a fucking helicopter port.

The helicopter was fucking massive the closer they got. Seth grabbed a hold of his bicep in pure excitement. Seth was about to buzz right off the roof if he didn’t have a death grip on Dean’s flesh currently. Roman was a lot more muted hanging out in the back.

Passing by the Co-Pilot he tells each of them to watch their step as they huddle inside. The man’s grin unnerves Dean a little bit and creeps him out but with Seth tugging excitedly on his arm to get inside Dean doesn’t really dwell on it too long.

Roman’s in last sitting down with a humph his hands shaking as he buckles himself in.

Summer Rae and Fandango sit on the opposite corner obviously hitching a ride, but Dean pays them no mind as his hand digs into Roman’s thigh.

“This is fucking it Uce.”

“Yeah,” Roman whispers back. His complexion is pale and a light sheen of sweat begins to bead on his forehead.   
Dean furrows his brows, “you okay Roman?”

Roman nods shakily with a swallow. “I’m uh...kind of scared of heights a little bit.”

Dean’s concern turns into the biggest shit eating grin. He jabs Seth in the ribs to get his attention. “Dude are you serious right now?”

“What?” Seth asks.

“Yes, I’m fucking serious.” Roman whispers with a hiss but lets out a tiny whimper as the helicopter rotors start going and the noise inside the helicopter becomes cancelled.

“Dude just relax.” Dean soothes running a hand down Roman’s arm in comfort.

“Yeah,” Seth chimes in practically shouting to be heard. “Your brothers a superhero you have to like flying.”

Roman gives them both the bitch face which sends Dean into a spiral of laughs before they take off.

_“Wait a minute.”_

_“They’re still undefeated!”_

Electricity courses through Dean’s spine as he hurriedly rolls out of the ring. The sound of their music playing signifying that they had actually won.

They fucking won a match against the Undertaker.

Dean tries to take a few moments of rest on his knees outside the ring but Kane walking by has him immediately jumping up and running backwards toward the barricade with Roman hot on his heels behind him.

“Oh my god.” He hears Roman mutter despite the roaring of the crowd.

Seth catches up immediately crashing into his back his face alight with a huge smile. Dean couldn’t help but grin too, turning around and staring at the stunned faces of Undertaker, Kane, and Daniel Bryan.

Roman pulls him in for a hug his hand ruffling through his hair and then patting Seth on the chest.

All three of their faces alight with huge smiles even when they head to the backstage area.

Some of the superstars look on in absolute shock at the three of them. Obviously, this turn of events unexpected.

“Come here boys,” Roman grumbles sounding emotional pulling them both in for a huge hug.

“I can’t believe that just happened.” Seth said, still breathless and amazed at what they were able to do.

Seth’s eyes reminded Dean of a little boys on Christmas morning coming down to see all of the presents with the feeling of Santa hanging in the air.

It was adorable.

Wait what did he just say?

Dean shook himself from _those_ thoughts and said instead, “let’s go fucking celebrate.”

* * *

 

Celebrating turned into buying the most expensive brand of liquor they could find and holing up in their hotel room playing truth or dare.

To say that this was probably the worst fucking idea they’ve had in recent weeks would be a massive understatement.

“Fine, fine truth or dare Ambrose?” Roman questioned passing the bottle to Seth who swung some back with a wince.

“Truth.” Dean said confidently leaning against the couch. “I ain’t picking dare so you nasty asses can ask me to lick the carpet or drink toilet water _again_.”

Seth snickers passing the bottle to Dean who easily swings back four big gulps passing the last of it to Roman who finished it off.

They were all three clearly passed the point of buzzed and downright shit faced drunk. If it was any indication given that Seth agreed to let Roman hop off a couch and give him an elbow or the fact that somehow Dean drank toilet water _twice_ was a sign flashing in red neon lights of their stupidity, then surely the next few questions and dares coming would surmount them as the biggest idiots on the planet.

“Is it true that you ever kissed a guy?” Roman asks face set into a smirk thinking he held all the cards.

The temperature in the room suddenly ramped up ten degrees if possible. Dean’s black shirt beginning to collect sweat at the armpits.

His drunk mind was prepared to spill the beans to Roman and Seth about all of his sexual escapades with men over the years, no problem. The way that Roman licked his lips staring at him, waiting for an answer was beginning to stir awake something Dean had tried desperately to push down.

“Come on Roman.” Seth interrupted saving Dean from becoming king of the idiots with his answer. “That’s _too_ personal.”

“That’s what truth or dare is for!” Roman insists scrunching his eyebrows together upset that his truth question was being denied.

“Fine, fine!” Dean holds his hands up to appease both men. “How about dare then? And I swear if you ask me to drink toilet water again, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

Roman’s face comically lit up when his mind conjured a good enough dare. Dean should have known this was coming.

The questions have gotten more and more personal over the last hour that this was simply the natural progression to the game.

But he was so damn drunk and so was Roman and they weren’t thinking fucking clearly.

“Fine, I dare you to kiss Seth.” Roman said with a smirk his voice husking out the ‘kiss’ part making Dean shiver.

“Roman!” Seth blushes and god does Dean’s mind keep telling him ‘Stop. No. Danger Will Robinson. Do not go down this road’ he tries so fucking hard, but Seth’s lips look awfully inviting, positively red and wet with the way Seth was staring at him.

He tried.

Dean shrugged and surged forward dragging Seth closer to himself by his hair and pressing his lips to his. He may be fucking drunk and felt like puking up the toilet water he consumed but fucking hell if his dick didn’t get immediately hard in his jeans his tongue poking out, insisting Seth open his mouth to his ministrations and when Seth opened with a slight gasp of air Dean’s tongue explored every crevasse savoring the taste that was Seth to his memory.

Seth let’s out a moan grabbing onto Dean’s thigh and that’s when Dean finally zaps back to what is happening in a panic. His hand falls away from where it got tangled in Seth’s hair and he pulls away with a dazed look in his eyes watching as Seth begins to recover from their short make out session looking all but three years old with his cute little pout.

“Uh, ta da?” Dean offers Roman with an uneasy look. Roman, to his credit, didn’t make a sound but by God if eyes could burn through clothing then both he and Seth would be sitting naked currently with the way Roman was staring at the two.

“Uh, I think...I think we’re done for the night yeah?” Seth pipes up wiping at his mouth in shock.

“Yeah, good idea.” Roman adds. “Dean why don’t you take first shower and please try not to throw up toilet water.”

Dean sneers but doesn’t hesitate to scramble to his feet, wobbling for a few seconds before he’s running into the bathroom door with an awkward laugh as both Seth and Roman stare holes through him.

He manages to wrangle the door open and shut it loudly with a wince.

He has no idea how he takes off his clothes or how he successfully turns on the water without scalding himself but as soon as the spray hits his clear erection he winces.

His movements are uncoordinated, but his hand makes its way to his dick almost on autopilot jerking off while leaning against the shower wall thinking of Seth’s lips.

What a sorry sack of shit he was tonight.

Unbeknownst to him or the other two men in the room a sinister face watches in the window pulling away with a big smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still enjoying this. Love to hear your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about Cardiff, Wales or the Castle. All of it was research so sorry for any inaccuracies!

The morning comes very quickly.

Too quickly for Dean’s taste. The sun shines cheerfully through the curtains piercing Dean’s skull with a painful, dull buzz that thrums through his entire body.

Dean rolls over with a groan and manages to come directly into contact with Roman, who apparently, he was bunking with for the night.

The details from the previous night are hazy but one clear image shines brightly behind Dean’s closed eyelids, doing ravenous things to his current morning erection. The feeling of Seth’s lips against his lighting a fire low in his belly forcing him to bite down hard on his lower lip to keep the moan in that wants to escape.

His cheeks heat up as he quickly rolls away from Roman’s warm body doing his best to cover his embarrassing erection.

He must have woken Roman up at the same time given that the bigger man lets out a huff, stretching on the bed, nearly whacking his head as he does so.

“M’rnin.” Roman grounds out, voice all rough and scratchy.

Dean simply grunts out a low, ‘fuck’ relaying everyone’s feelings about their current predicament as well as last night.

“Uh god,” Seth’s voice rings out across the room coming from the futon couch. It’s highly nasally and agitated forcing Dean to finally unwind from the bed and peek above the blankets he was currently wrapped in.

He had one second to catch a glimpse of Seth’s pale face before he was darting off the couch, crashing into the wall and spinning his body into the bathroom. Sounds of puking followed soon after.

Roman wrinkled his nose but Dean smiled softly the words, ‘amateur’ leaving his mouth.

“Jesus fuck,” Dean grounds out again rolling over in bed and burying his head in the pillow at hearing the toilet flush.

“Remind me never to listen to you again, babe.” Roman says deeply making Dean grumble.

“Whose up for some fasting for awhile?” Seth offers, leaning on the door jam looking like death warmed over. He has his hand guarding his stomach, terrified obviously of having to expel the contents of the previous night again.

“I’m up for some Tylenol right about now.” Dean begs underneath the pillow, headache pounding behind his eyelids.

“We’ll go out and get some babe.” Roman offers softly his warm palm rubbing up and down his forearm.

“I have some Excedrin in my bag.” Seth offers softly forcing Dean to remove the pillow from his face at the man’s odd tone. He looks sheepish standing across the room.

“I use it sometimes for chronic migraines.” Seth shrugs.

Dean furrows his brows. “Migraines? I didn’t know you suffered from migraines.”

Seth shrugged again. “I didn’t want to appear weak, I guess. Seems like something silly to suffer from and I haven’t had a bad one in awhile.”

Dean gaps like a fish feeling a bit at loss for words at the cute moment they’re sharing. Words and comfort were never his strong suit, so thank fuck for Roman when he takes over the conversation.

“It’s not weak to need help babe.”

The light blush that highlights Seth’s features makes Dean feel funny inside the thoughts of the kiss last night invading his brain. They all three clearly skirted around the issue but the issue wouldn’t leave Dean alone. The weird feelings from last night in his clear, sober mind were doing wicked things to his libido. Maybe it was just because it was morning and he was typically horny in the morning, but his body shook with the craving to experience that contact again.

“However, you are a tad bit weak at how tight those skinny jeans are you wear.” Awkward moment evaded successfully as Seth grumbles and throws a pillow at his head making Dean sigh in relief. Thank fuck that weird conversation was over.

“We have the day off gentlemen, what should we do?” Roman asks after a few minutes pass of them all fully becoming awake, using the facilities and moving around the room to pack, well at least Roman and Seth were. Dean was still trapped in the blankets, one bare leg hanging off the side of the bed with his face smashed into the pillow Seth threw at him.

Dean’s mind immediately conjures up something dirty in his mind. His eyes slit open to watch Roman’s muscular back move as he shrugs on a t-shirt. Suddenly the idea of seeing both men with a lot less clothing on was right up his alley.

“What about the beach?” Dean offers, or more like slurs out given his face was currently stuck to the pillow with his drool.

The fact that Seth and Roman clearly could hear him however left him feeling warm.

“What?” Seth’s nasally voice shrieks. “It’s fucking cold out you dumbass.”

“Pssshhhh,” Dean rolls his eyes pushing over in the bed so that he was laying flat on his back and had a clear view of both men. “I swam in snow before.”

“Babe,” Roman chuckles fondly sitting on the bed and laying a warm palm on his calf. “I am constantly amazed at how far you’ve made it in life.”

Dean grins. “Not without trying though.”

“You asshat, stop talking about your weird escapades in Cincinnati. How about we go see Cardiff Castle back in Wales?” Seth suggests instead, clear eagerness dripping from his voice.

Dean shrugs his shoulder. “Sure, _nerd_ but if we encounter ghosts, I’m fucking out of there.

“Duly noted.” Roman answers.

* * *

 

One call made to the castle and the three of them were waiting in a lobby for a tour guide. Seth, the smooth talker, was able to conjure up a private tour for them so they wouldn’t be pestered by fans today. Granted, it certainly didn’t help that Seth’s nerdy ass posted pictures on his twitter of the castle mentioning they were visiting today but Dean has to admit that the staff here at the castle were very sincere on their promise that it’d be a private tour.

The lobby they were escorted to was absolutely massive almost swallowing the three men up whole in its regal glamour. Warm brown sepia tones with flecks of gold sparkled throughout the room. Dean studied each artifact and read each guide with mild interest. He usually wasn’t a big history buff himself but found what he was looking at was pretty damn cool. It always amazed him at what his job offered him to see.

His eyes rolled around the room until they came into contact with Roman, who for all intents and purposes, looked like a dorky tourist with camera around his neck to boot.

Dean grinned as he walked quietly over to Roman and bumped him with his elbow. “Dude, you totally look like a dad on a field trip right now.”

Roman gave him a bitchy look before taking a picture of the beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “You’re an ass. And you look like a hobo.” Roman shot back, not that it offended Dean.

He looked down at his ratty jeans, old sneakers and hoodie with a grin. “See we go together. You’re the dorky tourist and I’m the man selling scalper tickets on the end of the block promising to show you all the thrills of the city.” Roman rolled his eyes at him fondly. “What about our teenager over there?” Roman thumbed behind his shoulder where Seth was currently studying a vase in a glass container.

Seth did look like a teenager with his man bun, skinny jeans and band tee with a fancy black jacket. All he was missing was his eyeliner from ROH to really complete the hipster, emo look.

“We make a sorry fucking pair, don’t we?” Dean said, making Roman laugh.

A clearing of the throat startled both of them out of their childish giggling making them turn around to face an older gentleman in a suit, who didn’t look all too pleased.   
“Excuse me, are you Roman, Dean and Seth party of three?”

The man’s crisp English accent cut through the air like a hot knife through butter.

“Yes, that’s us!” Seth spoke up, hurrying from his spot and rushing over to the two goons who stared like idiots. “Sorry about that.” Seth shot them both a dirty look before straightening his jacket. “Are you the tour guide the manager offered us.”

“Yes, sir that would be me. You three are scheduled for a curator tour. My name is Matthew Williams and I will be your guide this evening now if you will, follow me.” Without another word the man turned tail and immediately started walking near the roped off area, undoing the rope and holding it open with a palm out indicating he wanted the three of them to follow.

Roman and Seth went eagerly leaving Dean to shuffle behind slowly. He meant what he said earlier. If any ghosts made an appearance he was leaping out of the fucking window.

Dean didn’t deal with ghosts.

* * *

 

Their guide led them outside of the main entrance which was the entire entrance around the walls of the castle. Dean stared open mouthed at how absolutely massive the property was.

“Straight across from us is the North Gate which tells the history of the castles Roman occupation possibly dating back from AD 54. Slightly to the left of that is the Norman Keep which is a fortified tower built within castle walls. What we are going to see here today mainly is the beautiful castle apartment rooms and go through a house tour. So, if you gentlemen would follow me we are heading to the left here for our house tour.”

Dean followed dutifully behind the other two who were busy taking pictures and gawking at the sights. Seth pestered the tour guide with inane questions and Roman kept requesting Dean take selfies with him in front of different pieces of architecture.

Normally Dean wouldn’t be into things like this but going along with the other two put him at ease. An ease at which he hasn’t felt in awhile now. He felt comfortable goofing around with the two and earning stern looks from their current tour guide.

Though Dean has to admit the most beautiful thing was certainly the Arab room. He found himself at a loss for words at the high vaulted ceilings, beautiful stone marble and mosaic ceiling.

While Roman and Seth were busy snapping photos Dean was internally reminding himself to ask for a photo from Roman later.

“Now, Cardiff is known as the most haunted place in Wales with numerous ghosts appearing throughout the castle. We have a night tour if you boys are interested.”

“Oh hell no.” Dean piped up from the back, immediately coming back to life at hearing the ‘g’ word mentioned.

“I’m sorry, ghosts don’t interest you fellas?”

Matthew whatever the fuck his name was gave a devilish grin that had Dean picturing of ways to murder him in his sleep. He grit his teeth but was restrained by Roman’s firm grip.

“Yeah sorry, not much of a fan. Thanks for the excellent tour though Mr. Williams. Me and the boys are going to check out the café before we head out.”

“Anytime, we enjoy having personalities come through the castle. The guests enjoy it quite a lot.”

A heavy emphasis was put on the word guests making Dean assume the man really meant ghosts as he walked them out of the building back toward the main entrance.

It was night time now and the lights installed inside the castle walls gave off a spooky glow making Dean stick close to Roman’s backside.

“Dude if a creepy ghost girl shows up I ain’t hesitating to stab a bitch.”

“How are you supposed to stab a ghost exactly?” Roman asked with a smile on his face.

“I’ll figure something out.” Dean mumbled hands reaching inside his hoodie pockets as the wind whipped by.

Dean should have known however that Seth was all too quiet. The nerd was animatedly talking throughout the whole tour but gone silent the last ten minutes. Dean should have fucking known god damn it.

But a cold hand slithered out and touched the back of his warm neck making him jump with a curse, heart pounding in his chest.

“Jesus fucking Christ!”

He was embarrassingly holding onto Roman’s bicep for dear life when he recognized the sound of high pitched nasally laughing coming from Seth who was bent over cackling his ass off.

Once his heart returned to its normal rhythm Dean grit his teeth and whacked Seth across the back of the head, hard.

“Ow, god damnit Dean! It was a joke!”

Dean simply grumbled marching forward toward where he knew the food was since his stomach was rumbling.

Roman stayed behind making sure Dean didn’t concuss Seth with how hard he hit him and shared a secret smile.

“Okay that was fucking funny. Did you get it on camera?”

“You know it.” Seth whispered back traitorously, prepared to use the evidence for blackmail when need be.

* * *

 

Given that it was night time now there was no guests inside the café. The hours of operation got bent slightly for them making Dean grateful that his freak out wasn’t seen by anyone else.

Shoving a pastry in his mouth with gusto Dean moaned around the food, delighting at how sweet everything tasted.

“Dude this shit is awesome.” Dean huffed out, chunks of food flying out of his mouth.

Seth jerked his coffee away with a grimace. “You should try their salads. They’re actually pretty good.”

“Burgers are where it’s at guys.” Roman added rubbing his full belly. “They have better burgers than in the states.”

Dean checks the time on his phone and notes sadly that it’s already 6:30. They have to get going soon and make the near 3 hour drive back to the hotel room before hopping on a plane for France in the morning.

He found himself enjoying the day immensely. Not really for the gorgeous architecture and history but for the time he was able to spend with Roman and Seth. Sharing inside jokes, taking time to rid themselves of stress and just being together.

Not that he dislikes the time they spent wrestling together but today was definitely a different vibe then anything he’s experienced before with them.

Even if Seth, the jackass, decided to prank him. Dean thinks of all the evil ways he could possibly get Seth back.

The possibility of Nair in the shampoo enters his brain when they’re driving back to London.

He has an evil grin plastered on his face as he steers them down the highway.

“I don’t like that smile on your face, Dean.”

“You shouldn’t like it.” Dean agrees barking out a laugh at the face of fear Seth makes.

**_HNNNNGGGGG HNNNGGGG HNNNGGGG_ **

“Someone get the phone.” Roman grumbles from the backseat, having taken a brief nap on their car ride back.

Seth snatches Dean’s phone up without much fanfare. All measure of personal space they originally had are gone.

“Hello?” Seth answers in boredom, imagining it’s another spam caller since Dean was a goober at phones.

_“Did you enjoy the castle boys?”_

The look of pure fear and panic that crosses Seth’s face leaves Dean feeling as if someone socked him straight in the gut.   
“Who is this?” Seth demands angrily his voice a hoarse yell.

“Seth?” Roman questions leaning up from the backseat at having been awoken by Seth’s shouting.

Dean feels his hands tremble on the steering wheel, more concerned with what is going on in the passenger seat then actually driving. Roman calmly telling him to pull over to the side of the road has his nerves sighing in relief.

He flicks on the turn signal and pulls off to the right along a dusty stretch of road.

Nothing could really be heard except for the harsh breathing of the three men. With shaking fingers Seth puts the phone on speaker.

_“You didn’t answer my question. How did Cardiff Castle go? Did you enjoy your tour?”_

“Jesus fuck,” Dean whispers blue eyes wide.   
Roman’s face morphs from one of pure concern to anger. Roman snatched the phone out of Seth’s shaking hands, the younger man too shocked to speak.

“Who is this? Answer me damnit!” The only answer to the question is a quiet chuckle that sends shock waves down Dean’s spine.

_“You’ll see soon enough.”_

With that, the dial tone could be heard loudly reverberating in the car.

Dean’s blue eyes stared between Seth’s equally shocked brown ones and Roman’s infuriated ones before he was blowing out a breath, hands still gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Okay, we need to talk I think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are still enjoying this! Sorry this is a bit short. This is really just a filler chapter. Things are picking up quickly next chapter and the next few should be a lot longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a lot longer and I loved how it turned out. I feel like the plot is thickening quickly. Hope you like it.

The door to the motel room closed with a bang that made Dean give an involuntary flinch even though he was the one who angrily slammed it.

The tension is so thick in the air currently Dean felt like he was suffocating from it. He never was one to be claustrophobic but Roman and Seth were giving him a run for his money currently, standing in front of the door to the outside _and_ the bathroom.

The guys knew him all too well which pissed him off even more than their silent stares of condemnation. The disappointment from Roman in particular is radiating off him in waves making Dean feel as if he wanted to puke.

Rolling his shoulders in agitation Dean shrugged out of his jacket before plopping himself on the bed and busying with taking his boots off.

“Well? This is it Dean? Seriously?” Seth said anxiously his hands going to his hips and his lips pursuing in annoyance.

“What?” Dean shrugged. “I’m tired.”

Clearly that was the wrong thing to say since Roman was now crowding in his personal space forcing Dean to look up and stare into his cold, brown eyes. The perceived anger from both men is more than Dean could handle. His hand was already itching to shove Roman away angrily so he could go cool off somewhere outside, maybe near a local bar with a warm body to rid himself of the stress that has settled along his shoulders and was currently weighing him down with each new stare and each new sigh of disappointment escaping the two man’s lips.

“You can’t be serious right now Dean.”

Dean sighed flinging himself back on the bed and throwing an arm over his eyes, so he didn’t have to stare at Roman any longer. “It’s just a fangirl. Don’t get your panties in a wad.”

“Fangirl?” Seth shrieked. “Dean it was a man on the phone. A _guy_. This is more than just a delusional 16-year-old. This is getting serious.”

Before Dean could interject Roman continued pushing forward until he was grasping Dean’s arm that was slung over his eyes and ripping it away, holding it tightly next to his body.

“Hey! God damn it-”

“How did that guy know we’d be at the castle?” Roman demanded his eyes flashing dangerously in front of Dean’s face matching the strength Dean felt that was currently holding his wrist in a vice grip.

Dean had a second of fear chase through his stomach thinking of the text message and how the person’s voice was indeed a dude’s before anger was quickly replacing it. Dean grunted, throwing off Roman’s weight so he could roll off the bed and make a hasty exit toward the bathroom.

His hand was already coming up to scratch at his collarbone in anxiety and agitation when Seth’s firm grip came out of nowhere, holding onto Dean’s twitching hand with a pleading look in his eyes.

“Dean, _please._ ”

“Please, what?” Dean finally responded back, helplessly. What did these two guys want from him? Better yet what did they expect from him? Dean wasn’t this strong moral pillar of a man who could handle all this shit and Roman and Seth were wasting their time giving a damn because Dean wasn’t hearing it.

“Please take it seriously is what we’re saying.” Roman said smoothly. Dean jumped at his voice, not realizing the man had gotten up from the bed and came up behind him.

Dean felt trapped between both man’s heated stares. The lingering fear from the text message finally has him admitting defeat with a sigh. He ran a callused hand across his eyes harshly.

“I should have told you guys this already.” Dean was already internally kicking his ass knowing how pissed both men would be at hearing the information he had withheld.

“Told us what?” Seth intoned with confusion.

“When I had stormed off that one night and went to the bar...I got a text message on my phone.”

“And...?” Dean swallowed at hearing Roman’s voice figuring it was now or never.

“It was from the same number. It said, ‘ _I see u’_.”

“Dean,” Seth gasped softly his eyes furrowing in clear concern. Seth’s hand had reached out to his, obviously wanting to soothe the tremors but Dean refused the comfort, jerking back and away from Roman until he was hitting the wall.

“Are you kidding me?” Roman asked, anger rising in his voice. Dean really wished he was kidding. Wished he was just being an ass and playing a prank, but he figured if he was going to make this team work he had to at least be honest to some degree instead of shouldering everything himself.

“I wish I was dude.” Dean chuckled dryly. Obviously, his response was not what Roman expected of him.

Before Dean knew it Roman was in his face, eyes blazing with Seth pulling at Roman’s bicep a soft, “no Roman,” leaving his mouth.

“You can’t honestly be that stupid about this Dean! You could have gotten hurt.”

The moment the words leave Roman’s mouth he clearly regretted them. His face morphed from one of anger to pure shock.

Dean pushed the man away angrily which Roman expected almost tripping over Seth who was hot on both of their heels.

“Fuck off.” Dean spat out marching back to the bed and snatching up his jacket, intending to leave.

“Dean I’m-” Roman tried to stutter out an apology a look of shock still crossing his face.

Dean felt his eyes grow blurry. He wanted to honestly blame it on the stress and being tired, but he couldn’t help the way his heart twisted at the words. _Stupid._ Dean was an idiot in their eyes. A little child needing big strong Roman and Seth to take care of him.

Dean didn’t want to upset them, honestly, but he almost let it slip the horror stories of his childhood. Managing to sleep on the streets, feed himself through drug money running and other nefarious actions, being beaten within an inch of your life and having to suture your own wound so you didn’t bleed out.

Maybe Dean was honest to god stupid since he seemed too stubborn to straight up die.

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. I don’t need yours or Seth’s input about any of it either.” Dean said coldly, lips trembling as he pushed past Roman’s shocked form only to be caught by Seth’s hand in a desperate snatch.

“Let me go Seth.” Dean pleaded, outright begged but Seth held fast.

“No,” Seth said strongly. “I can’t do that.”

“ _We_ can’t do that.” Roman corrected, having gotten over his shock to join Seth in laying a hand on his shoulder. Dean prayed to god that Roman didn’t feel it trembling.

“ _Please_ if not for you but for us, don’t go out by yourself tonight. For the love of god, please don’t. I don’t care if you want to sleep in the damn bathtub but don’t go out tonight.”

Dean felt a tear leak out at hearing Roman’s broken voice. He swiped it away angrily before tugging his hand out of Seth’s grasp and rolling his shoulders to lose Roman’s.

“I’ll think about it.” Dean croaked out before he was heading toward the door.

* * *

 

Dean doesn’t stay outside long. He managed to walk around the block, hitting up a local store for a pack of cigarettes before he was walking back to the motel.

His body ached to the point that he felt near collapse. His mind was running rampant with different things that kept assaulting his memory. His past, his present and his future colliding until he could feel a migraine starting in his forehead.

Dean leaned against the cold brick wall of the motel with a sigh simply taking a few minutes to breathe.

He jabbed his hand into his coat and pulled out the cigarettes with a loud crinkle. His hands shook to try and get out a cigarette until he was bombarded with Seth’s nagging voice about him smelling like smoke before the younger man would wrinkle his nose in agitation before settling back to sleep as Dean shushed him with some silly joke.

Dean stared at the crinkled pack in his hand before dropping it with a curse. “God fucking damn it.”

Dean was well and truly fucked beyond belief.

* * *

 

A few weeks later found the boys in another six-man tag for RAW.

Dean passed by numerous bodies in the back, paranoia eating him alive. Each face stared holes through his head which before left him gleefully grinning at their faces but now has him shrinking back in agitation.

Agitation at the fact that Roman and Seth were driving him fucking mad and everyone in the god damn building could see something was up.

Rumors floated in waves about what was going on with the Shield. Their well-maintained reputation was crumbling with each new day. They were either fighting amongst each other or were clingy to the point where well-trained eyes could possibly surmise something else was going on.

It fucking pissed Dean off to the highest degree.

He felt like he couldn’t even take a piss by himself anymore.

Dean made a steady beeline for their locker room following Seth’s bleach blonde hair as it bobbed in and out of crowds.

His eyes swung wildly from person to person taking note of faces that he’d like to beat in for the grin they held toward them.

Coming across the Miz who tipped his shades at him, his annoying smirk catching Dean in his peripheral Dean stopped and literally growled at the man, barring his teeth.

“There a fucking problem?”

The grin quickly dropped from Miz’s expression with a worried look passing over it. He stammered out a “uh no.”

Before he was quickly slinking away from the crazy man acting like a dog.

Dean smiled back. He still got it. “That’s fucking right.”

“Dean, come on!” Roman shouted down the hall making him flinch. He lost his smile and frowned before muttering to himself and tracking back to the two guys who were driving him fucking crazy.

“1, 2, 3!”

The hand slamming the mat was loud in his ears but what rung through even more clearly as Dean pushed away Kofi’s leg with disgust is the sound of Roman yelling his name, a jovial sounding expression as Seth came up behind him and hugged him, shaking him slightly.

Roman rolled into the ring with a huge smile on his face as he patted his chest.

“That’s my boy.”

Dean preened slightly, feeling looser than he has in weeks. The smile on Roman and Seth’s face as they look at him in admiration and respect from a hard-fought victory made him feel light on his feet.

The feeling carried him all the way into the back where Roman ruffled his hair softly bringing him in for a kiss on top of his head. A characteristically Dean move.

“Damn we did good tonight boys.”

“Sure, as hell did. Did you _see_ Kofi’s head hit the mat?” Dean said with glee, his blue eyes lighting up as excitement coursed through his body doing a small dance that both Seth and Roman stared at fondly.

“Someone seems to be feeling better.” Seth remarked softly making Dean pause.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Look,” Roman started but Dean quickly cut him off.

“I’m sorry.”

Roman stared at him perplexed looking to Seth in confusion. “What?”

Dean groaned. “You really gonna make me say it again? Do you guys like torturing me?”

“Nah, we heard you loud and clear.” Seth laid an arm across his shoulder. “And for the record so are me and Roman. We were just concerned about you. We never intended to be your parents or make you feel as if we were.”

“Yeah, babe, sorry for overreacting.” Roman settled on Dean’s other side a grin lighting up his face.

The apologies sunk deeply into Dean’s chest. The knowledge that Roman and Seth knew that he was upset, and both knew exactly what to do to remedy the situation not completely passing him. “Apology accepted. Does that mean we can finally hit the damn beach since we are somewhere close to the south and it’s not 40 degrees out?” Dean begged making Seth roll his eyes.

“Were you really waiting for an apology just to slide that suggestion in?” Roman asked bemused.

“Well, I figured that I do a little praying in the morning that you’d guys get your head outta your asses and apologize in a warmer state, but I’d take my chances in a cold one and go skinny dipping in a frozen lake.”

Seth smacked himself dramatically across the forehead before he was steering Dean toward their joined locker room with Roman’s booming laughter following behind them.

“Jesus Christ Dean.”

* * *

 

Loch Haven Lake was a picturesque, serene sort of hole in the wall located in Virginia. The forest surrounding the beautiful lake offered the strong scent of pine coupled with the trout that jumped out randomly in the back to coordinate the beauty.

Loch Haven Lake was a private swim club that with some pleading from Dean on the phone was offered to them privately for the day. Given it was the low seventies and not a booming hot day, many people weren’t running to hop in a lake, but Dean was absolutely dying to just lay on a chair and pass out in the sun, awakening to a slight burn that would make him grimace if he smiled too hard.

Memories like beaches were few and far between in his childhood as evidenced by his lack of swim trunks forcing him to borrow a pair of Seth’s which were suspiciously tight around his package.

“This is fucking beautiful.” Roman said amazed, standing with his bare feet buried in the sand and taking in the twinkling, green lake.

“Yeah,” Dean sighed his eyes averting to Roman’s flower themed trunks appreciating his ass. “Certainly is.”

“Well what are we waiting for?” Seth asked a smile on his face shoving past Roman who muttered out an annoyed ‘hey’ before diving in like a fucking trained swimmer.

Dean marveled for a moment at the way Seth’s muscles pulled gracefully popping back up out of the water with a smile.

“Well you guys coming or what?”

Roman didn’t need much more cajoling before he was also running into the lake with an embarrassing yell that sounded awfully similar to one’s he made in the ring. Much like Seth, Roman was a literal merman. Growing up on the water gifted Roman with superhuman powers related to water and there wasn’t a sport that Seth didn’t excel at.

Which left him, the city boy, who didn’t learn to swim until he was fifteen.

“Come on Dean!” Roman yelled, splashing water until it was reaching Dean’s calves.

“Alright, alright. Settle down you fucking banshees.” Dean waded into the water slowly, totally unlike the other two, his feet scraping against random shells on the bottom. The water was cooler than normal, but it felt good to get out of the humidity.

Suddenly a hand grasped his ankle and was tugging harshly until Dean fell off balance with a yell, falling face first into the lake inhaling water as he went.

Slight panic ran through him until he was breaking the surface with a wet cough.

“Jesus Seth, I didn’t say drown the man.” Roman said with a shake of his head, hitting the back of Dean’s back until the hacking coughs subsided.

Seth shrugged the water rippling around him at the action. “Sorry Dean didn’t realize I caught you off guard.”

“It’s okay.” Dean rasped out his heart beginning to beat at a normal pace again. Memories from his past resurfaced leaving his blue eyes as murky as the green lake but he quickly shook them at noticing both men staring at him. “You’ll be getting sand in your pants for that one.”

Seth gave him a bitch face clearly not liking his deemed punishment. “Oh, come on. It was harmless.”

“Hey,” Dean shrugged his arms beating up and down as he swam on his back with a grin. “Dean don’t forget.”

“Dean is also an ass.” Seth shot back leaping forward and dunking Dean under the water again.

Dean was prepared this time making sure he held his breath until he was grabbing Seth’s kicking feet and tickling forcing the younger man to the surface awkwardly squawking and splashing since Dean still had a grip on his one foot.

“Roman!” Seth pleaded in between fits of giggles.

Roman smiled coming up alongside Dean. “Hey, you know Dean don’t forget.”

Seth gave him a murderous look before Dean went at it again.

“Dude you totally peed your pants!” Dean snorted taking a swig from his water bottle as Seth angrily swiped a towel across his head.

“Did not!”

“Did too! It was super warm in the water dude.”

“Dean,” Seth growled stepping forward until Roman laid an arm across his own, clearly holding back laughter as well. “Alright boys that’s enough.”

Dean stuck out his tongue at Seth which made the younger man do Undertaker’s characteristic throat slash toward him.

Dean rolled his eyes but sighed as the sun beat down on his drying body. Seth was busy rubbing himself dry so that he could try and tan. Dean couldn’t help but stare at the way Seth lathered tanning oil on himself; his golden skin glistening in the sunlight. Seth’s tight black trunks left little to the imagination. Feeling a blush heat up his cheeks Dean’s eyes swung toward Roman’s thinking the man caught him staring but all he managed to catch was Roman staring at Seth as well, the same lust in his eyes that were there the night that Dean decided to play lip lock with Seth.

Dean stored the information away for later before being broken out of his thoughts as Seth plopped down on the white lawn chair next to his. Roman sat on the sand his wet toes crusted with gobs of seaweed.

Roman was clearly in his element today. His face held a smile since the moment they stepped in the water. Roman was itching to go back in it almost like it was calling to him.

Roman settled his hands in the sand, playing with it before starting, “when did you learn to swim Dean?”

Dean dribbled water down his chin he was busy gulping at the question. “What?”

“Swim. You. When did you learn?”

“Why do you want to know?” Dean questioned suspiciously.

Roman shrugged eyes finding Seth who was equally entranced by the conversation. “You never really told us before, in fact, you really don’t speak about your childhood much.”

Dean began his immediate speech of ‘fuck you. You don’t want to know’ when Seth interrupted.

“I know it’s for good reason and me and Roman don’t want to push you, but we would appreciate it if you maybe opened up a bit?” The please was heard pretty clearly at the end of Seth’s sentence. Dean swung his blue eyes from Roman to Seth who looked eager for what little information Dean would share.

Dean didn’t realize he was effectively holding out information about himself. It was just his usual MO. Don’t tell people it will cause them to either think that Dean needed fixing and take pity on him or be disgusted at his prior life spent roughing it.

Dean wasn’t looking for pity but somewhere in Dean’s mind something told him that Roman and Seth weren’t looking to offer it either. They just wanted to know _him_ even if they got the information little by little.

Dean sighed. “I learned to swim due to a drug dealer pushing me into the Ohio River. I didn’t know how too previously, you know living in a city and all. I either had to somehow coordinate movement or I’d drown.” Dean shrugged not meeting either man’s eyes as Seth inhaled softly, obviously shocked. “I wasn’t stuck in there for very long it was just an intimidation tactic but after that I attempted to try and teach myself to swim just in case...”

“It happened again.” Roman finished for him.

“Yeah,” Dean trailed off feeling as if unloading the story was a load off his shoulders. One small secret he doesn’t have to keep anymore. When he finally met Seth and Roman’s eyes again, he didn’t see pity like he feared but understanding and....love maybe? Compassion?  Something shone brightly in their brown orbs that made Dean feel warm inside.

Roman got up suddenly and rummaged through his bag before producing his phone. He stepped back with a smile. “Smile boys.”

Moment broken. Dean shared a look with Seth before they were both flipping off the camera.

 

Roman took the picture with a smile before he was setting his phone back in the bag and lobbing sand at Seth’s oiled stomach.

Seth growled leaping out of the lawn chair and trying to snatch Roman’s retreating form who slipped by with a laugh.

Dean smiled watching the two chasing each other around the lake before their fight landed them in the lake both attempting to dunk the other one.

Dean rolled his eyes before getting up and cracking his neck. “I can’t leave you two alone for one minute!” Dean hollered before he was running to the lake himself, awkwardly flopping on top of both Seth and Roman with the grace of a cow which left the two doing their best to swim away.

Between the sounds of their laughter and splashing of water neither guy could see or hear a man stalk out of the woods and stealthily make his way towards their bag. The man spent one second studying each bag before he was digging into the middle one and pulling out the old, brown wallet within with a smile before he was stalking back off before any man had a clue what had happened.

The sun is setting when they make it back to the hotel. Roman is out beating sand from their shoes like a man on a mission. While Seth was taking first shower.

The steam from the shower wafted into the room sending a chill down Dean’s spine. Water fell in small droplets on the comforter as Dean unpacked his bag cataloging his extra pack of cigarettes hiding deep within it, a fresh pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

However, as he continued digging out his things throwing them on the bed carelessly, he stared at the empty bottom pondering the whereabouts of his wallet.

Stalking to the open door with his empty bag Dean shouted over Roman’s banging.

“You’ve seen my wallet Ro?”

“What?” Roman asked shouting back, continuing to beat each one of their shoes thoroughly out.

“Never mind.” Dean muttered. Fucking clean freak.

Dean shifted focus and made his way to the bathroom, pushing open the door and doing his best to avert his eyes from the nude body behind the curtain. “Seth you’ve seen my wallet?”

“No,” Seth shouted over the water before he was shivering. “Close the damn door it’s cold in here!”

Dean closed the door with a sneer, empty beach bag in hand before he was tossing it aside and relaying to only himself, “well that fucking sucks.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist using that picture in my story :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in early 2013. The Shield are tying to figure out how to work as a unit, getting closer and closer as time goes on and Dean has an unexpected person that flips his world upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a few days late. I've been looking at new furniture with my fiancee since Friday so it's been a crazy weekend. Hope you like this chapter.

 

 Dean’s not exactly sure what to think when he heard the refs hand hit the mat for the three count. His heart was hammering so loud inside of his chest it felt like it might explode on him.

The lights, the sounds, the atmosphere of it all left him feeling intoxicated and high on the power.

Dean got up with a smirk, mumbling ‘where’s my fucking belt’ to the ref before the ref was putting it in his hands and raising his right hand triumphantly. Dean screamed in triumph, the belt feeling oh so heavy by oh so fucking right in his sweaty palms.

Dean’s blue eyes shone brightly in the spotlights, drinking in the noise from the crowd and the feel of the hard ring underneath his feet. The sweat glistening on his brow traveled down his cheek to his chin making him stick out his tongue to lick around his mouth.

Before Dean could even gloat anymore to the crowd, out of his peripheral, Seth was launching into him tackling his middle and enveloping him in a huge hug. His shouts and hollers of glee for him was sending electricity down through his spine to his toes making them curl in his boots.

Roman was next lifting him off his feet high and shaking him like he was Roman’s favorite stuffed animal. Dean couldn’t possibly contain the smile gracing his features, making his dimples stick out and his cheeks to puff like a chipmunks.

He also didn’t miss the way Roman whispered in his ear a simple ‘I’m so fucking proud of you’ making him feel flush for different reasons other than the euphoria.

Both men enveloped him in for a tight hug and in that moment, Dean felt incredibly hot all over, the sweat intermingling with Seth and Roman’s skin until he wasn’t sure where he ended and they began. Dean’s eyes dropped for a brief second taking in the sensation of being held and loved before Roman was pulling his arm away and Seth’s head was straightening from his collarbone.

Dean stared at the shiny belt in his hands for a moment letting it finally sink in what he’s managed to accomplish, not necessarily by himself but with the strength of the other two next to him. The power he felt currently was racing through his body sending his heart beating in a weird spasm.

The words, “I love you both” almost slipped from his lips. Almost.

In a shock, Seth was lifting him with Roman’s help, and he felt himself dangling from their hands both guys pointing and hollering his name to the crowd letting everyone know exactly what they thought. Dean held the belt high smile never leaving him.

When they finally let him down again Dean couldn’t contain himself before he was running full steam at Roman and leaping into his arms again who willingly opened them for him.

It was a weird ass metaphor about home that wouldn’t leave him brain, even later in the night when he was on the opposite side and running out into Seth and Roman who just won the tag titles.

When he buried himself into Seth’s side his excitement cresting and outright exploding with all of his happiness and euphoria he felt at peace. Like everything was right with the world.

He gripped Roman in a fierce hug lingering with it for more than a few seconds before he was lifting both man’s arms high.

They were on the fucking mountain top now and nothing could stop them.

When they’re crashing into the back looks of both awe and contempt coat the faces of the other wrestlers, even some personnel. However, Dean was so laser focused on his feeling of happiness being with Seth and Roman that he didn’t once notice any of it.

He couldn’t give a shit.

“Oh, my fucking god.” Dean finally let out, his breath stuttering as his white knuckled grip on the belt increased.

Roman’s hot breath coasted over his neck making him shiver. “Looks amazing babe.”

Dean turned to him with a grin noticing the same look upon Roman’s face that was likely plastered on his own. Seth was studying his belt at the moment which he managed to put on himself. The gold glittered in the lighting making Seth look so damn elegant that Dean almost wept at the beauty. Almost.

Dean rummaged in his bag before he was pulling out a champagne bottle he had bought earlier.

“Let’s fucking party boys.” Dean announced, shaking up the bottle and opening the cork with an explosion that shot across the way and coated both Seth, Roman and himself in the sticky mess.

Dean ignored Seth’s shriek in favor of tipping the still bubbling bottle to his mouth and taking a few gulps of it.

Roman snagged the bottle from his hand doing the same.

Dean found himself entranced with watching as Roman’s adam apple bobbed as the translucent liquid fell down his mouth to his neck muscles.

“You better be buying the first round you asshat.” Seth grunted shaking off liquid from his hands with disgust.

Dean was broken out of his staring to shrug. “I kind of lost my wallet at the beach boys so consider an IOU.”

“Someone’s going to be having a field day with your cards, babe.” Roman said chidingly, passing the bottle to Seth who gulped some down despite his earlier annoyance at being sprayed.

“Yeah,” Seth wiped his mouth off before continuing. “Did you even call the bank?”

“No, _mom_ , I did not call the bank yet. Sheesh, look at our gold bitches lets fucking party!” Dean shoved his belt in Seth’s face obnoxiously who pushed it back with agitation.

“Okay captain dick head but this winner has to take a shower first.” Seth marched over to the shower stalls not even stopping to grab any of his things nor bothering to take off his belt either.

Roman, who he shoved the champagne bottle to, flashed a bemused smile Dean’s way.

“Is he gonna try and shower with that thing on?”

“I bet ya 100 bucks he’ll try jacking it with that thing on.” Dean offered back making Roman roll his eyes but Roman didn’t stop to offer any objections at Dean’s prediction either.

* * *

 

It’s a short walk to the bar near their hotel room. It’s slightly cold outside with temperatures in the high 50’s which causes Dean to shove his hands into his leather jacket pockets for warmth.

His hair is still drying, curling slightly at the ends, a sight that made Roman smile at him in fondness even if Dean didn’t say a word. They just had those little things like that between them that went unsaid and private.

Despite Dean’s insistence he bring the belt with him Seth finally convinced him to leave it at the hotel with theirs. He didn’t think they’d want more attention than they’d be getting tonight.

Dean didn’t agree until they literally were 10 steps from their door and being bombarded by every Joe, Dick and Harry on the street. So yeah, staying in the same city as the PPV likely wasn’t a good idea but each guy really wanted to celebrate and neither wanted to attempt to drive or go anywhere after getting hammered the way they planned tonight so walking to the nearest bar and walking back home seemed appropriate.

The chime above the bar door chinked softly when Roman pushed it open. He and Seth followed closely behind his back ignoring the immediate murmur that starts up at their presence. Dean ducked low attempting to blend in but he’s eventually stopped by a pasty white looking guy in his mid-twenties, fresh acne still on his face.

“Dean can I get your autograph! Oh fuck, this is so cool me and my friends just watched the PPV tonight.” The guy chattered excitedly making Dean shoot him a lopsided grin.

“Sure buddy.” Dean accepted the bar napkin and pen leaning on the nearest pillar to scrawl his hastily DA before giving it back to the guy. The guy gushed for a few more minutes before Dean was eventually politely brushing him off searching for where Seth and Roman made off too, obviously having slipped undetected.

However, once spying them busy talking to a few other bar patrons gathered around their table, all shoving phones and napkins in their faces it seemed as if Dean got off easy compared to the other two.

Deciding to slip off to the restroom until the heat died down Dean kept his head low barreling into the men’s room stall and blowing out a quick breath at noticing it thankfully empty. 

After taking a quick leak Dean went to wash his hands when a stiff breeze blew across his arm, as if the door to the bathrooms were pushed open quickly allowing wind movement through the otherwise stagnant bathroom.

Dean quickly turned toward the door water gushing into the sink a solid noise behind him, but the door was closed and no one that Dean could see or hear had made their way into the bathroom.

Dean’s heart rate accelerated for a brief minute still thinking about the incident at the castle with “ghosts”. Dean couldn’t handle it if bars suddenly had ghosts too.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror his face seemed pale, so he splashed some cold water onto it before chuckling softly to himself.

“I’m fucking losing it.” Dean muttered turning off the faucet and heading back out into the bar.

The heat seemed to have died down at the table where Roman and Seth were currently occupying. Both men had bottles of beer sitting in front of them chatting idly with an unopened one sitting next to Seth, obviously Dean’s spot.

Dean grinned as he made his way to the table before plopping down with a grunt that made Seth jump.

“Jesus Dean! Don’t do that.”

“Shove it Rollins.” Dean jabbed the younger man in the gut before he was popping off the top of his beer and taking a few swigs draining the bottle to halfway.

“Convenient that you disappeared when me and Seth were getting mugged.” Roman lamented with a twinkle in his eyes.

Dean’s hands played with the beer label as he flashed Roman a pearly white smile. “Damn right.”

Seth grumbled softly next to him in response.

“Where’s the damn liquor at? We need some whiskey over here stat.”

“Fireball.” Roman offered.

“Are you two insane?” Seth asked, being the only sensible one out of the three. “We have a show to do tomorrow. Raw remember? Do you guys really plan on getting _that_ hammered?”

Dean shrugged. “Depends. Are we going to engage in any truth or dare again?” Like expected his response shut Seth up immediately whose jaw snapped tightly closed so fast that Dean was surprised he didn’t bite off his tongue.

“That’s what I thought Rollins.” Roman said with a grin snagging a wandering waiter and asking for some whiskey.

As both men learned numerous times in the past when Dean had alcohol running through his veins his lips got incredibly loose.

Within an hour a whole bottle of fireball whiskey was consumed by the three of them alone with another quickly being worked on.

Seth’s nasally laugh rang out loudly in his ear making Dean grin at his joke hitting the intended mark.

Dean was studying the way Seth’s neck muscles pulled when he’s laughs, admiring the man’s rough beard. Dean didn’t even realize he was staring so intently until Roman’s warm palm settled across his own which had a death grip on the bottle of whiskey.

“You gonna drink that or you fixing to share?” Roman asked his voice lowered a considerable amount.

A weird electricity snapped and crackled in the air between them. Dean was incredibly drunk so maybe his mind was just conjuring up things that weren’t there but if Dean studied Roman’s face closely enough, he could maybe detect the hint of...interest? Sexual interest?

The heat of Seth’s thigh resting comfortably against his was forcing his brain to think of wild things. It made rational thought really difficult at the moment.

Before Dean could even stop himself, he was already blurting out, “I like sharing.”

Seth now refocused on the conversation leaned in closer to Dean’s right side his warm breath ghosting across the shell of Dean’s ear making him shiver.

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Dean’s eyes traced back between Seth and Roman’s and then scanned the rest of the patrons in the bar. The noise of the bar became white noise in his ears compared to the sound of his blood pumping noisily in his head.

Dean licked his lips. “Yeah, like how you both looked really good in your swim trunks.”

Roman leaned closer his black hair hanging creating a barrier between the rest of the bar and the three of them sitting in the booth.

Dean found himself leaning close as well his lips just a few inches away from Roman’s.

“Oh yeah babe? Describe to us how _good_ we looked then.”

The small sound that Seth made in response sent Dean’s heart almost pounding straight out of his chest his eyes fell from Roman’s eyes to his mouth noting how thick and juicy the lips looked. Despite himself he felt himself growing hard in his jeans.

With the way Roman was staring at him and the way Seth’s thigh pushed hard into his own, the thick muscle providing Dean’s growing erection with heat was making Dean about lose it in his jeans.

He was so damn close. If he just leaned a little closer his lips would be touching Roman’s.

Just a little closer.

Just a little-

“Oh shit!”

The shout and the shaking of the table shook Dean out of his trance forcing him to pull back just in time for him to witness a waiter sloshing a full pitcher of beer their way.

Dean didn’t react fast enough, but Seth obviously had enough function to yank the back of his jacket and practically pull him toward his lap to spare him getting doused with the amber liquid.

Almost as if in slow motion the beer sloshed out onto the padded seat of the booth hitting Dean in the thigh but missing his head, thankfully, Roman’s hands and forearms got coated as well and Dean was pretty sure Seth got splashed in the face.

“Well fuck,” Dean cursed breaking the tense silence sending the waiter into action.

“I’m so sorry sirs. God, I’m so _so_ sorry.” The man attempted to wipe down the table with his rag moving from the table to the seat Dean used to be occupying. Dean didn’t even realize he was still basically sitting atop Seth’s lap until Seth said a soft “it’s okay buddy,” that rumbled through his chest straight to Dean’s.

Once the seat was cleaned Dean quickly slid back and away from Seth. The moment from previous was entirely gone now. Roman was more fixated with wiping off his arms with the napkins another waiter had produced, and Seth was busy wiping down the flecks of beer that managed to spill at the back of the table.

“I’m extremely sorry sir.” The man intoned again, regret clearly in his voice.

Dean turned to him, intending to rid the man of guilt thinking he was just a waiter trying not to lose his job when his eyes met murky green ones.

Dean couldn’t quite explain it, but a weird feeling hit his stomach making the whiskey slosh painfully. The guy didn’t say anything further and eventually walked away but Dean was caught staring at the man’s retreating back a sickly feeling eating him up until Seth touched his arm softly.

“Dean?” Seth asked concerned.

Dean shook his head softly breaking himself from staring at the man and turned back to Seth and Roman. “Yeah?”

“What was that?” Roman asked looking at Dean with the same level of concern as Seth was.

“What?” Dean asked, playing stupid, hoping both men would ignore what happened and continue on but Roman and Seth clearly sensing something was wrong decided it was time to cut off their celebration a little early.

The spell that all three men were under earlier now haven been broken, Dean reached into his pocket attending to throw down some bills before leaving when he remembered that he had lost his wallet.

“I got this.” Roman offered reaching into his own pocket and paying for their tab.

When all three men got up Dean was relieved to note that his earlier erection went down enough that it wasn’t noticeable. The creepy feeling that hit him in the bathroom and as well as the table wouldn’t leave him though. He carried it all the way back to the hotel room despite Seth and Roman’s insistence on cheering him up.

Dean was sure his frequent mood swings as of late had to seem crazy. One second, he was up and the next he was down. He couldn’t quite explain them himself so attempting to try and explain them to Seth and Roman proved exceptionally difficult.

The guys had finally relented on their mother-henning to where Dean felt like he could breathe again. He couldn’t risk worrying them further by saying, ‘oh by the way it feels like I’m being watched and followed’.

When they finally reached the hotel room and closed the door Dean was internally sighing in relief.

His paranoia was obviously getting the better of him. He needed a fucking cigarette.

Seth was busy digging through his bag for his sleep clothes taking off his shirt and tucking it back into the bag dutifully unlike Dean who tore through his own looking for his lighter with shaky hands.

“Dean,” Roman sighed obviously spying the crinkled cigarette pack in his hand.

“Fuck off,” Dean sniped back having no time to explain himself or go through a lecture. He needed some fucking nicotine to clear his nerves.

Something brown whizzed close to his head, and despite his drunkenness his reflexes were too well trained. He caught the object in his hand with confusion.

“There’s your wallet you dope. You put it in my stuff.” Seth said.

“Christ.” Dean muttered dropping his pack of cigarettes in favor of shifting through his wallet looking at all his credit cards.

“You’re a forgetful moron sometimes babe, but we love ya.” Roman chuckled pulling away from Dean’s back with a pat on the shoulder.

Dean’s eyes furrowed his shaking fingers rubbing over the black letters inscribed in his wallet. He gasped before he dropped the offending object like he was burned staring at it with horror.

“Dean?” Seth asked with concern noticing the way the older man was shaking and how pale he had become.

Roman who had went to the bathroom earlier made an appearance at hearing Seth’s tone.

“What’s going on?” Seth shrugged his shoulders as he made his way to Dean’s side grabbing a hold of the man’s shaking shoulders. “Dean what’s wrong?”

Roman studied the room until his eyes fell on Dean’s wallet on the floor. He picked it up and opened it with a curse, “jesus fuck.”

“What?” Seth asked.

Roman turned the wallet over showing Seth the message written inside with black sharpie.

Seth’s brown eyes widened as his hands tightened on Dean’s bicep at reading the words ‘MINE’ written in capital letters across Dean’s driver license photo.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think? I'm taking possible bets for who we think our stalker is if there even IS a stalker and Roman and Seth are worry warts? I would like to know what you think! Thanks for reading.


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